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/■//STO/?y  Of 

HOUL  TON.  MAINE 


\/' 


IT  T  S  T  O  R  Y 


TOWN  OF  HOULTON 


(MAINE  ) 


FROM    1804   TO    1883. 


BY     AN     OLD     PIONEER, 


IIaveuuill,  Mass.  : 
C.  C.  MORSS  k  SON,  BOOK  AND  JOB  PIUNTEKS. 


5^41. 


HISTORY  OF  HOULTON 


Since  of  late  it  has  become  customary  to  give  the 
historical  account  of  towns  in  New  England,  the  writer 
of  the  following  has,  from  the  novel  and  extraordinary 
circumstances  under  which  Houlton  was  settled,  been 
induced  to  make  a  brief  statement  of  facts  connected 
with  its  rise  and  progress,  for  a  series  of  years  ;  and  to 
give  a  simple,  unvarnished  statement  of  facts  as  they 
occurred. 

As  the  primitive  inhabitants  have  principally,  (as 
must  be  expected,)  passed  from  the  tlieatre  of  action, 
perhaps  there  is  no  one  more  familiar  with  the  incidents 
of  th(^  early  history  of  that  little  colony,  who  would 
have  taken  upon  himself  the  trouble  and  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  the  task,  than  the  writer.  The  reader 
must  be  sensible  that  the  circumstances  and  events  as 
the}'  occurred,  are  of  such  a  heterogeneous  character, 
that  they  must  appear,  even  if  judiciously  arranged,  in 
a  desultory,  chaotic  state,  which  would  require  the  gifts 
and  genius  of  a  Kane  or  a  Livingston  to  embody  in  a 
form  and  phraseology  that  would  endure  the  criticism 
of  a  historian. 

In  order  to  give  an  account  of  the  primitive  history  of 
Houlton,  and  of  the  original  Trustees  of  New  Salem 
Academv,  we    must   refer    the    reader    to    some    extracts 


4  III  STORY    OF    HOULTOX. 

from  a  letter  from,  our  venerable  friend,  the  Rev.  Al- 
j)hcns  IlardiiiL;-  of  New  Salem,  Mass.,  in  reply  to  a  re- 
(|uest  made  for  information  contained  in  the  records  of 
New  Salem  Academy:  he  bein;^-  familiar  with  tlie  history 
of  that  institution,  having  been  connected  with  that 
time-honored  school,  either  as  pujjil.  Assistant,  Pieceptor, 
or    Trustee,   nearly    sixty  years.     ]\Ir.   HardiuL;-  writes: 

''  In  regard  to  New  Salem  Academy,  I  find  by  the 
records,  it  was  incorporated  Feb.  25,  1795,  and  the  orig- 
inal Trustees  named  in  the  act  of  incorporation,  were 
Rev.  Joel  Foster  of  New  Salem,  Solomon  Reed  of  Peters- 
ham, Joseph  Blodgett  of  Greenwich,  Joseph  Kilburn  of 
Wendell,  David  Smead,  John  Goldsbury,  Jonathan  War- 
ner, David  Saxton,  Ebenezer  Mattoon,  Jr.,  Daniel  Bige- 
low,  ^lartin  Kinsley  and  Ezekiel  Kellogg,  Esqs.,  Samuel 
Kendall,  Varney  Pearce,  and  Asa  Merriam;  that  in  Oct., 
1797,  Daniel  Bigelow,  Varney  Pearce,  and  Rev.  Joel 
Foster  were  chosen  a  committee  to  sell  the  half  town- 
ship." 

But  it  a[)pears  fi'om  the  records  that  in  the  autunni 
of  1804  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Trustees,  Ebenezer 
Mattoon,  Samuel  C.  Allen,  and  Samuel  Dickinson  were 
chosen  a  committee  to  convey  said  lands  to  the  following- 
persons,  viz.:  Aaron  Putuam  one-eighth,  >i^G25;  Varney 
Pearce,  one  eighth,  'ii^l)25;  Joseph  Houlton,  -"r^lOOO;  Jolin 
Putnam,  1500;  Joshua  Putnam,  8500:  Rufus  Cowls  of 
Amherst,  1500 ;  John  Chamberlain,  »t500 :  William  l)0w- 
man  of  Hadley,  $250 ;  Consider  Hastings,  8250 ;  Thomas 
Powers  of  (xreenAvich,  #250  ;  total,  85000.  ^Ir.  Harding 
writes,  ••*  These  lands,  being  far  from  any  settlement  in 
Maine,  at  that  time  were  unsalable,  and  the  purchasers 
being  involved  and  unable  to  sell  tliese  lands,  concluded 
to  dispose  of  their  farms  in  New  Salem  and  remove  into 
the  wildei-ness  and  make  new  homes.  This  deprived 
New  Salem  of  manv  worthv  and  i2'ood  families,  and  of 
its  most  public  citizens." 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  5 

In  the  suniincr  of  1S()4,  Messrs.  Joseph  Iloiiltoii,  Aaron 
Putnam  and  Oliver  'l^avh)i-,  h'l't  New  Salem  for  tlie 
provinee  of  Maine — eanie  by  land  to  Ihin^or,  \vhei-e  lliey 
hired  im  Indian  with  his  eanoe  to  convey  them  to  the 
river  St.  John.  They  proceeded  np  the  Penobscot  to 
the  ]Mattawan)keag,  thence  up  the  Baskahegan  stream 
to  the  i)ortage  of  the  Schoodic  Lake,  where  the  Indian 
proposed  to  them  that  he  would  describe  tlie  way,  so 
they  might  i)roceed  on  their  journey  without  him.  Mr. 
Houlton  having  passed  the  same  route  before,  thought 
from  the  knowledge  he  had  of  the  lake  and  the  country, 
that  he  could  pilot  them.  The  Indian  returned  and 
they  went  on,  crossing  the  lake,  but  they  became  bewil- 
dered, lost  their  course,  and  landed  on  tlie  east  shore, 
where  they  rambled  off  in  the  wilderness,  got  lost  and 
were  for  days  without  food.  They  came  to  a  brook, 
where  there  were  fish,  but  the  desideratum  was  to  catch 
them.  With  Yankee  ingenuity  and  invention,  impelled 
by  the  keen  demands  of  starvation,  they  took  a  shirt, 
tied  np  the  neck  and  arm-holes,  bent  a  stick  in  the  form 
of  a  hoop,  which  they  fastened  to  the  other  end  of  the 
linen,  in  the  fashion  of  a  dip-net,  with  which  the}'  con- 
trived to  outwit  the  fish,  makii:g  captives  of  several 
trout  and  suckers,  wliicli  heliJcd  to  sustain  life.  Thev 
proceeded  without  guide  or  comjjass,  wandeiing  through 
swamps,  clind)ii'g  over  windfalls,  camping  wherever  night 
found  them  ;  exposed  to  the  constant  annoyaiices  of  the 
V)lack-llies  and  mosquitos ;  thus,  wandering  in  a  track- 
less wild,  with  naught  to  rouse  them  from  tiieir  dreaiy 
solitude,  save  the  discordant  croakings  of  the  crow  and 
raven,  or  the  tremulous  halloo  of  tlie  loon,  and  tlic 
screeching  of  the  mimic  owd,  wliat  must  have  Ijcen  their 
emotions  at  the  first  discovery  of  the  foot-prints  of  civ- 
ilization, when  they  finally  reached  the  l)ank  of  the  St. 
John,  35  miles  below  Woodstock.  They  came  to  a  cot- 
tage, the  residence  of  Mr.   Harper,  and    called    for    food. 


6  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

The  good  woman,  beholding  their  sad  condition — gar- 
ments torn,  limbs  scratched  and  brnised,  from  the  snags 
and  bushes,  their  pale,  emaciated  features,  directly  pre- 
pared some  fresh  salmon,  in  a  manner  as  simple  and 
harmless  as  possible,  of  which  she  gave  them  sparingly, 
lest  the}^  should  eat  too  freely  ;  her  husband  being  ab- 
sent. Having  tarried  there  until  they  became  restored, 
by  the  benevolent  and  judicious  treatment  of  their  kind 
hostess,  they  asked  for  their  bill  of  expense.  To  which 
slie  replied,  ''We  never  take  pay  of  strangers."  Mr.  O. 
Taylor,  with  his  accustomed  pleasantry,  casting  an  in- 
quiring look  around,  asked,  "  Of  whom,  then,  in  the 
name  of  wonder,  do  you  take  pay?"  With  a  mutual 
blessing  and  friendly  farewell,  the}'  pursued  their  jour- 
ney up  river  to  Woodstock,  from  Avlience  they  went  to 
view  what  they  called  the  promised  land. 

After  taking  a  survey  of  this  section  of  the  country, 
having  had  a  mid-summer  view  of  their  anticipated 
home  Messrs.  A.  Putnam  and  Taylor  were  as  much 
pleased  with  their  land  and  2)rospects  as  were  their  pre- 
decessors; and  confirmed  the  favorable  report  of  the  first 
discoverers  ;  probably  not  aware  of  tlie  short  summers 
and  long  cold  winters  of  this  high  latitude,  nor  fore- 
seeing the  destiny  which  awaited  those  pioneers  wiio, 
for  years,  were  isolated  in  the  heart  of  this  tlien  wild 
region.  But  it  appears  to  have  been  the  design  of  the 
Creator  that  this  wilderness  should,  ere  long,  be  con- 
verted to  the  use  and  benefit  of  man ;  that  the  giant 
growth  of  this  beautiful  forest  was  to  yield  to  the  axe 
of  tlie  woodman,  and  this  desert  become  a  fruitful  field. 

In  the  summer  of  1S05,  Mr.  Aaron  Putnam  and  fam- 
ily, accompanied  by  Varne}-  Pearce,  Jr.,  Samuel  Houlton, 
and  Luther  Tyron,  left  New  Salem  for  the  eastward,  as 
it  was  then  called.  They  came  on  board  a  vessel  from 
Boston  to  Fredericton,  from  thence  in  boats  to  Wood- 
stock,   60    miles    above    Fredericton.     Mr.  Putnam    and 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  7 

family  remained  at  Woodstock  while  the  youDcr  men 
proceeded  to  what  is  now  called  Honlton,  and  felled 
the  first  trees  in  the  place. 

The  circumstances  connected  with  the  settlement  of  this 
new  colony  were  indeed  novel.  What  could  have  induced 
the  inhabitants  of  New  Salem  to  purchase  wild  land  in 
the  interior  of  the  district  of  Maine,  at  a  sacrifice  of  the 
privileges  and  enjoyments  of  churches,  schools  and  society, 
and  embark  in  such  an  enterprise — to  encounter  the 
privations,  perils  and  hardship  of  establishing  a  petty 
colony  in  this  region  of  frost  and  snow,  in  a  latitude  of 
more  than  46  degrees,  ap[)ears  to  be  a  problem  of  mys- 
terious solution. 

Capt.  Joseph  Houlton,  wife  and  eight  children,  viz  : 
James,  Samuel,  Joseph  and  Henry,  sons,  and  Sarah, 
Polly,  Lydia  and  Louisa,  daughters,  left  New  Salem  for 
Houlton  Plantation,  as  it  was  then  styled,  in  the  summer 
of  1807,  and  arrived  at  Woodstock  after  a  safe  and 
speedy  passage  by  watei-  from  Boston. 

Leaving  the  daughters  at  Woodstock,  the  others,  as- 
sisted by  kind  friends,  cut  a  bridle  path  to  Houlton, 
the  matron  following  on  horseback,  with  her  china  tea- 
set  carefully  packed  in  a  basket,  hanging  on  her  arm, 
supi)fjrted  by  a  pillow, — a  very  necessary  appendage  to 
their  outfit — for,  after  the  fatigue  of  so  long  a  ride, 
wending  their  way  on  a  zigzag  line,  they  would  require 
something  from  that  cup  which  '•  cheers  but  not  intoxi- 
cates." They  came  to  a  thicket  of  cedar,  where  they 
left  the  horses,  and  became  pedestiians  the  last  two 
miles,  to  the  long-sought  promised  land. 

Joseph  Houlton  and  family,  Samuel  Cook,  E>q.,  his 
son-in-law,  and  James  Houlton,  who  was  married  the 
day  previous  to  their  leaving  New  Salem,  constituted 
the  first  three  families  of  that  novel  forest  home. 

The  first  object,  after  their  arrival,  was  to  obtain  fire 
and  food  to  refresh  the  weary  occupants.     After  adjusting 


8  HISTORY    OF    HOUI/rON. 

the  limited  sii})j)ly  of  kitchen  utensils,  with  the  order 
and  neatness  of  Xew  England  honsekeeping,  they  baked 
their  ItiM.'ad  wiiiiont  chimney  or  oven,  in  a  bake-kettle, 
or  '•  Dntcli  oven,"  as  it  was  called,  with  a  cover  to  it, 
hnng  on  a  [)ole  supported  by  stnmps  or  crotelies,  or 
placed  in  tlie  corner  witli  coals  above  and  beneath. 
This  was  one  specimen  of  their  cnlinary  operation  by 
which  many  barrels  of  flour  have  been  baked  by  the 
first  settlers,  until  they  could  obtain  materials  for  build- 
ing. Tliey  usually  commenced  with  a  small  cabin  made 
of  spruce  logs,  locked  together  at  the  four  corners  ;  the 
inside  hewed  off  to  an  even  surface.  Among  the  nohility 
they  would  evcm  make  the  outside  to  compare  with  the 
inner.  The  roof  consisted  of  rafters  ribbed  with  small 
poles,  and  covered  Avith  bark  or  split  cedar  ;  and,  until 
a  chimney  could  be  built,  a  large  aperture  was  left 
through  the  roof  for  the  smoke  to  ascend  to  its  accus- 
tomed altitude.  The  spacious  fire-place,  large  enough 
to  burn  small  mill-logs,  w^as  constructed  of  stone  and 
clay  mortar,  up  to  tlie  mantel-i)iece ;  the  chimney  above 
was  made  of  cedar  sticks,  laid  up  cob-house  fashion,  and 
plastered  with  a  thick  covering  of  mortar  mixed  with 
oat  straw. 

But  to  secure  these  tem[)oraiy  habitations  from  the 
insidious  intrusion  of  Jack  Frost,  they  caulked  the  crev- 
ices between  the  loc^s  with  moss  (gathered  from  trees. 
This  was  the  Innnble  style  of  log-cabiti  architecture. 

The  long  winters  passed  off  almost  impercei)tibly, 
while  tlu^y  were  busily  engaged  preparing  timber  and 
getting  materials  for  building  fences,  thrashing  their 
grain  and  cutting  firewood,  which  was  no  ordinary  task, 
as  it  was  found  necessary  to  keep  hres  night  and  day 
during  the  severe  cold   weather. 

At  the  opening  of  the  spring,  the  first  business  was 
to  prepare  for  sugar-making.  The  troughs  for  catching 
the  sap  were  made  of  the   fir-tree,  oi-  birch-bark,   which 


HISTORY    OF    HOUSTON.  9 

the  Frencli  tiiul  Indians  used.  The  tenth  of  April  was  the 
usual  time  for  tapping  the  SLigar-niai)le.  The  iron- ware 
for  boihng  the  sap,  from  the  size  of  three  barrels  down 
to  two  gallons,  were  brought  into  requisition  for  three 
or  four  weeks,  with  pipes  and  puncheons,  that  were 
placed  in  due  order  near  the  kettles  beside  the  camp,  to 
hold  the  sap. 

In  the  morning,  on  the  crust,  the  boys,  with  mocca- 
sins and  snow-shoes,  a  hand-sled  and  a  deep  tub,  each 
with  two  pails,  commenced  gathering  the  sap,  which 
was  a  laborious  but  not  a  hitter  task,  for  the  saccharine 
came  next,  when  each,  with  his  spoon  and  dipper,  par- 
took freely  of  the  delicious  candy,  giving  a  deep  ver- 
milion hue  to  their  ojlowinfj  countenances. 

They  made,  during  the  autumn,  some  improvement  by 
clearing  the  land  for  sowing  about  their  cabins,  which  it 
was  found  expedient  to  do  as  early  as  possil)le  in  the 
spring,  to  secure  a  mature  growth  from  the  destruction 
of  untimely  frosts,  for  the  change  is  sudden  from  winter 
to  summer,  consequently  vegetation  progresses  with  ra- 
pidity and  luxuriance. 

In  those  seasons,  wlieat  and  other  grains  yielded  a 
bountifid  harvest.  But  inconvenience  and  ex[)eiise  at- 
tending the  grinding,  rendered  those  croj)S  of  compara- 
tively little  '•vahie,  there  being  no  mills  nearer  tlian 
Woodstock  ;  and  at  times  they  were  obliged  to  go  down 
the  St.  Jolni,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  below  Woodstock, 
traveling  upon  snow-shoes  and  liauling  the  grain  on 
handsleds.  This  may  appear  ap[)alling  to  the  reader, 
but  we  state  facts  as  they  occurred,  which  we  learn 
from  unquestionable  authority.  But  they  were  not  long- 
subject  to  this  herculean  task  ; — the  Yankee  ingenuity 
and  versatile  talents  of  Capt.  Houlton  soon  put  a  hand- 
mill  in  operation,  which  did  their  grinding,  though  prob- 
ably not  in  all  rcsjjccts  (piite  equal  to  New  York  man- 
ufacture. 


lO  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

The  condition  of  the  first  settlers  must  have  been 
gloomy  indeed,  but  for  the  friendship  of  their  British 
neighbors  ;  yes,  neighbors — although  twelve  miles  dis- 
tant, they  acted  the  human  part  of  the  good  ''Samaritan," 
in  their  deeds  of  kindness  and  benevolence.  Their  doors 
were  opened  to  receive,  and  their  hearts  ever  ready  to 
welcome  tliem  to  their  hospitable  homes,  rendering  such 
aid  as  their  necessities  required.  Their  trade  and  inter- 
course for  years  were  confined  to  his  Majesty's  subjects, 
with  whom  they  sustained  the  most  friendly   relation. 

The  pioneers  of  this  infant  colony  were  men  of  indus- 
try and  enterprise,  who  had  enjoyed  advantages  for  in- 
telligence beyond  the  general  migratory  class,  who,  when 
the}"  remove,  seldom  stop  longer  than  barely  to  gain  a 
residence  and  then  proceed  to  make  other  new  improve- 
ments for  those  of  mere  staid  habits,  of  perseverance 
and  energy ;  consequently  possessing  more  of  wealth, 
character  and  influence. 

In  1808,  Capt.  J.  Houlton  received  an  appointment  to 
the  office  of  Register  of  Deeds  for  the  northern  district 
<»r  the  County  of  Washington,  l)y  his  Excellency's  com- 
mand, James  Sullivan,  Esq.,  Governor  and  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 

In  1809,  Mr.  Joshua  Putnam  and  Phineas  Stevens 
left  New  Salem  for  Houlton.  Mr.  Warren  Putnam,  who 
had  been  four  years  in  trade  at  Woodstock,  removed  to 
Houlton  with  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  mother, 
and  four  sons,  viz  : — Amos  S.,  Jay,  Lysander,  Aaron 
and  an  adopted  son,  Josepli  Goodenough. 

Mr.  Putnam  made  a  location  of  rare  romantic  beauty  ; 
surrounded  as  it  is  on  the  east,  south  and  west  by  the 
waters  of  the  Meduxnakeag,  the  aboriginal  name,  but 
which  is  now  familiarly  called  creek.  The  north  branch 
empties  in  on  the  west,  which  contributes,about  one-third 
to  its  waters.  The  elevated  bank,  which  rises  ratlier 
abruptly,  following  the  creek,  upon    which    Mr.  Putnam 


HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON.  II 

built  a  log'  house,  affords  a  iiue  view  of  the  opposite  sur- 
louudiug  localities.  Here  the  ludiaus  frequently  passed 
lip  and  dowu,  with  their  bark  canoes  deeply  laden  with 
their  valuables,  such  as  a  vaiiety  of  game,  "  squaws  " 
and  *'  papooses."  Here,  too,  the  wild  ducks  of  various 
species,  played  in  the  rippling  current,  practicing  their 
newly  fledged  broods,  now  diving  beneath  the  limpid 
element,  then  on  their  wings,  whizzing  through  the 
trackless  ether,  to  seek  some  new  seclusion. 

It  may  appear  to  some  that,  at  that  time,  the  Prov- 
ince of  Maine  must  have  presented  some  imaginary,  as 
well  as  real  inducements,  to  the  p»eople  of  New  Salem, 
for  their  decided  predilection  and  destiny  it  seems  was 
for  Houlton,  notwithstanding  the  tide  of  New  England 
emigration  was  to  the  west. 

In  May,  1810,  Messrs.  Varney  Pearce,  Esq.,  Deacon 
Samuel  Kendall,  Joshua  Putnam,  Ebenezer  Warner, 
of  Springfield,  Josliua  G.  Kendall,  Jacob  Haskell  and 
Putnam  Shaw  left  New  Salem  for  the  Province  of  Maine. 
They  embarked  at  Boston,  and,  after  a  tedious  passage; 
of  several  weeks,  from  the  ceaseless  rocking  and  pitching 
of  the  vessel — being  green  hands  just  from  the  (•ountry, 
they  were  all  distressedly  seasick  ;  poor  souls,  they  must 
have  had  rather  a  s(|ually,  squirming  time  of  it,  for 
when  they  landed  at  the  city  of  St.  John,  where  they 
tarried  a  short  time,  to  their  chagrin,  they  found  they 
had  lost  their  center  of  gravity,  so  that  on  attempting 
at  locomotion  they  reeled,  staggered  and  halted,  more 
like  newl}'  yoked  pigs  than  witli  the  measured  ])ace  of 
terra  firma  pedestrians.  Mr.  Amos  Pearce  and  Simeon 
Holden  left  New  Salem  a  fortniglit  later  than  those  who 
came  from  Boston  by  water,  and  after  a  separation  of 
about  five  weeks,  liaving  traveled  some  400  miles  by 
land,  they  arrived  at  Woodstock  on  the  same  day,  whicli 
must  have  been  a  remarkable  coincidence. 

Durincr   the  summer  Mr.   A.  Putnam  built    a    mill-dam 


12  HISTORY    or    IIOl'LTOX. 

iu;n»»  the  creek  near  his  liouse,  as  before  described.  At 
the  western  sliorc  it  was  found  difficidt  to  obtain  a  per- 
manent foundation  upon  whieli  to  build,  and  at  tlie  time 
of  frcsliet  the  water  nntUM'mined  and  washed  away 
the  bank  and  carried  off  the  (him.  In  July  the  house 
of  Mr.  Piilnani  was  burned,  with  the  clothin<x,  IxmIs, 
tnrniture  and  provision.  The  lire  caught  from  a  \nece 
of  felled  trees  adjoiniui;-,  of  S(une  oO  acres,  wliich  acci- 
dentally took  lire,  and  so  terrible  were  the  llames  that 
tin,'  family  lied  for  refu*j^e  to  the  opposite  shore  of  the 
creek.  Those  uusfortuiu's  must  have  been  severely  felt 
by  Mr.  Putnam  and  family,  while  they  were  striviuLT  to 
estalilish  themselves  with  a  new  and  permanent  home  : 
yet  Ml-.  P.  endured  the  losses  and  privations  which  he 
sustaitie(l  by  tlios(^  potent,  anta^'onistic  elements,  with 
thai  lorlitufjc  and  fori)earance  which  w  tu'c  characteristic 
of  liiu). 

In  tlie  sumnuMof  iSj],  Dtu-t.  Samuel  Kicc  and  Joshua 
Puliiani.  witli  their  fandlies,  acciuupanied  by  Samuel 
Ken(hdl,  Jr.,  and  Sarah  his  sister,  removed  from  New 
Sidem  to  Houlton,  thus  adding  two  fandlies  more  to 
this  oasis  of  tlic  forest,  there  bein«j^  six,  besides  other 
^ctllers,  youni;  unmarried  mm,  viz  : — Samuel  Iloulton, 
Joshua  ( i.  Kciiflall,  l\bcne/.i>r  Warner  and  Thineas  Stev- 
eus.  'I'jicvc  f.iinilies  were  located  upon  botli  sides  of 
•'"•  "•»a<l  ruiiniiiLi:  nearly  east  and  west,  within  a  distance  of 
le.sN  than  two  miles;  aud  all  busilv  en*j^a«j[ed,  bnildiuiX, 
chMiiiiL,'  away  the  h.rest,  convcrtiuL;'  it  into  a  beautiful 
♦»«''<••  J'he  crops  of  all  kinds  o(  grains  and  vcu:i'tables 
were  abuii.lanl.  They  planted  but  little  corn,  but  what 
the\  raised  was  ..I"  (in.  best  (piality.  l\>tatoes  and  ruta- 
baga luinips  were  raised  with  facility  and  in  abundance 
from  the  nr\\l\  cleared  lands,  ami  they  were  found  to 
he  \aluablc  \'nv  rearing  stock,  fattening  bjeef  and  pork. 
'Iliese  vcgclables  were  «.f  great  service,  particularly  be- 
lorc   their    improvements    were   sulhcient    for  producing  a 


s^  «r  an  :flije  HBLtt  iff  rmf-  ijim&sefi 
rrmiQ  --  ji 

:».  !£isc;«  iniik    &  unTt- 


-X 


l3we  ^^tj- 


T^fe.    n^gjcr-^iftt    m&t 


-It 


14  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

some  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  that  place  concern- 
ing what  could  be  done  to  secure  these  defenceless 
families  from  insult  and  plnnder  bv  the  Meductic  tribe 
of  Indians.  Hut  before  Mr.  Haskell  reached  Woodstock 
he  met  tliree  Provincials  on  the  way  to  Iloulton  upon  a 
message  of  amity. 

Soon  after,  George  Morehouse,  Esq.,  authonzed  by  the 
Provincial  government,  came  and  informed  the  people  of 
Iloulton  that  they  might  remain  unmolested  as  in  time 
of  peace,  that  the  arms  of  the  Indians  had  been  se- 
cured, and  the  inhabitants  forbidden  to  sell  them  am- 
miniition  ;  the  government  was  supplying  them  with 
provision.  Thus  their  defence  was  guaranteed,  provided, 
liowever,  that  the  citizens  of  Houlton  should  neither 
bear  arms,  aid  nor  assist  in  any  military  operation  or 
designs  against  His  Majesty's  subjects ;  and  in  case  of 
any  hostile  movements  on  the  line  or  in  tlie  vicinity  of 
Houlton,  either  fiom  the  American  government  or  by 
the  Indians,  they  were  forthwith  to  notify  the  citizens 
of  New  Brunswick  thereof. 

The  above,  though  not  in  the  pliraseology  of  the  orig- 
inal* document,  yet  amounts  to  the  same,  as  nearly  as 
the  writer  can  learn  from  verbal  testimony. 

Tlie  hrst  sparse  settleis  upon  the  banks  of  the  St. 
John  were  fearful  of  the  Indians  in  both  goverinnents  : 
and  males  from  sixteen  years  of  age  and  upwards,  that 
were  able  to  bear  arms,  were  fuinislied  with  tliem  b\' 
tlie  (government. 

In  the  autumn  of  1812,  Samuel  Wormwood  left  Al- 
fred, Mc.  for  Houlton — came  via  Bangor,  wliere  he  hired 
an  Indian  witli  his  bark  to  pilot  him  through.  They 
came  up  the  Penobscot  river  and  the  Mattawamkeag, 
where  the  Indian  said  he  would  direct  him  so  as  to 
find  the  way  alone  ;  that  it  was  but  a  dav's  travel 
from  there  to  Houlton.  Accordingly  the  Indian  turned 
back,  leaving  Mr.  Wormwood  witli  but  one  dav's  allow- 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  1 5 

iince  t)f  provision,  who  started  off  with  a  ponderous 
pack  of  joiner's  tools  upon  his  back,  proceeding  as  nearly 
us  he  could  by  his  directions,  without  guide  or  compass. 
On  leaving  the  stream  he  became  l)e\vildered,  wandered 
off,  and  was  seven  days  in  the  forest,  six  of  which  he 
subsisted!  upon  the  bark  and  roots  lie  gathered  in  the 
woods.  This  was  in  October,  exposed  to  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather,  and  the  long,  frosty  nights,  without  fire 
or  shelter,  day  after  day,  wandering,  forcing  his  lonely 
way,  frantic  from  anxiety,  grief  and  despair ;  no  one 
knows  the  number  of  miles  he  traveled  to  gain  one  in 
the  right  direction,  until  he  became  so  much  exhausted 
that  he  left  his  pack  on  a  liorseback,  between  a  pond 
and  the  creek,  about  seven  miles  from  Houlton,  and 
crawled  over  tjie  windfalls,  followed  the  stream  until  he 
finally  reached  Houlton  almost  dead.  Dr.  Rice,  who 
took  him  to  his  own  house,  found  him  so  feeble  that 
he  said,  had  he  not  arrived  that  evening,  he  must  have 
perished  before  morning.  But  with  watchful  care  and 
skill,  allowing  some  simple  liquids  for  a  time,  he  at 
length  was  restored.  His  clothes  were  all  in  tatters — 
his  feet  were  swollen,  lacerated  and  lame,  from  his  des- 
perate efforts  to  gain  his  destination.  His  meager,  ema- 
ciated features  and  skeleton  appearance,  must  have  more 
personified  a  ghost  than  a  living  man.  After  Mr.  W. 
became  lestored,  Mr.  Kendall  accompanied  him  in  scMrch 
for  liis  pack,  whicli  they  found,  and,  to  their  utter  as- 
tonishment, with  some  crund)s  and  dry  crusts  of  bread 
in  the  bottom  of  it.  The  i)oor  suft'erei-  became  so  be- 
wildered, as  to  have  lost  all  recollection  of  having  a 
n^orsel  of  food  left,  while  starving  for  the  want  of  it. 
These  facts  the  w^riter  received  from  Mrs.  A.  Putnam, 
the  daughter  oi  the  subject  of  the  narrative. 

In  this  uncultivated  state  of  the  country  there  were 
valuable  tracts  of  timber  land  on  both  sides  of  the  line, 
which  were  attractincr  the  attention  of  the  adventurer  to 


l6  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

hazard  liis  fortune  in  tlie  lumber  business,  which  lias  too 
often  proved  unsuccessful  to  many  poor  fellows  who 
have  failed  irretrievably  in  that  enterprise.  Although 
square  pine  timber  was  commanding-  a  high  price  at  St. 
John  and  Miramichi,  vaiying  from  four  to  seven  dollars 
j)er  ton,  and  sometimes  more  for  the  Norway  i)ine,  vet 
the  expense  for  labor,  teams  and  supplies,  was  so  great 
as  to  consume  the  amount  obtainetl.  Hay  delivered  at 
the  camps  cost  from  #20  to  fOO  per  ton,  oats  and  other 
necessaries  were  in  the  same  proportion  ;  nevertheless 
this  l)usiness  was  destined  to  become  the  stable  of  the 
country,  and  created  a  demand  for  more  labor  than  this 
new  country  could  then  supply,  and  this,  with  the  team 
power  which  was  required  to  clear  off  the  heavy  growth, 
to  the  development  of  the  resources  of  this  virgin  soil, 
called  for  horses  and  oxen,  which  were  furnished  from 
the  counties  of  Penobscot  and  Kennebec,  by  people  fiom 
Bangor  and  vicinity,  viz :  Messrs.  Gordon,  Holyoke, 
Dudley,  Webster,  Bailey,  and  others,  who  came  through 
with  droves,  following  np  tlie  Penobscot  and  Matta- 
wamkeag  rivers  to  within  some  twenty-five  miles  of 
Iloulton,  theme  following  a  spotted  line   through. 

Those  drovers  made  this  trade  in  stock  an  object  of 
speculation.  Tiiey  not  only  understood,  with  Yankee 
shrewdness  how  to  buy  and  sell  animals,  but  they  soon 
evinced  not  a  little  sagacity  in  the  manner  of  tr.uisport- 
ing  goods,  which  they  did  by  fastening  packs  upon  the 
neck  and  h.>rns  of  the  oxen,  as  well  as  upon  the  backs 
of  horses,  which  proved  a  successful  device.  Their 
goods  sold  at  a  greater  profit  than  the  stock,  and  doub- 
loons, !?!♦)  i)ieces,  were  as  connnon  and  current  as  $5 
bills  are   now. 

Jn  lsl:5,  \Vm.  Williams  and  his  family  removed  from 
the  Province  of  New  Brunswick  to  Houlton,  and  settled 
in  that  vicinity,  and  are  esteemed  as  respectable,  enter- 
prising inhabitants. 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  I7 

In  the  winter  Josliiia  G.  Kendall,  Samuel  Houlton, 
Phineas  Stevens  and-  Jacob  Haskell  left  Houlton  for 
New  Salem,  with  packs  of  sable  fur,  which  they  bought 
of  the  Indians.  The  snow  deep  and  the  weather  ex- 
tremely cold,  without  a  c;uide,  save  a  pocket  compass, 
tliey  took  their  direction  towards  the  Mattawamkeag, 
with  their  heavy  i)acks  and  eight  or  ten  days'  provision, 
traveling  upon  snow-shoes,  to  which  they  were  unac- 
customed, climbing  over  the  fallen  trees,  dodging  the 
snow-loaded  branches — their  snow-shoes  catchinir  the  un- 
derwood  and  snags  that  obstructed  their  passage,  pitch- 
ing them  headfirst  —  their  moccasins  losing  I'oothold  — 
cast-bonded,  tangled  up,  and  for  the  loss  of  locomotive 
power,  thrust  down  their  hands  to  keep  their  heads, 
perchance,  some  way  horizontal  with  their  heels,  lest 
forsooth  they  should  find  themselves  in  i-ather  a  sad  pre- 
dicament, with  their  unwieldy  packs  wagging  them  first 
one  way  and  then  the  other,  in  the  struggle  to  right 
ship  and  cargo.  Thus  ti-avehng  twenty-five  miles  to  tlu 
Mattawandveag,  they  were  all  jaded  out,  wdiere  they 
sought  fuel  and  camping.  Suffering  from  fatigue  and 
cold, — fingers  cran)})ed  and  fireworks  damp, — it  was  with 
much  effort  they  obtaine<l  lire.  Their  lefuge  for  lodg- 
ing was  u]K)n  the  snow,  covered  with  layers  of  fir 
boughs  and  })illows  of  the  same,  with  a  lire  of  logs,  six 
or  eiglit  feet  long,  and  as  many  inches  through,  one 
upon  another,  with  a  forcstick  su[)ported  by  short  cuts 
for  andirons,  protected'  by  no  shelter  but  the  forest. 
After  partaking  of  their  homely  fare,  each  with  his 
blanket  Avrappcd  around  him,  in  real  Indian  st3'le, 
they  lay  themselves  down  in  the  fond  embrace  of 
Morpheus. 

Where  they,  in  the  shndowj  moonliglit  slept. 
The  sparkling  sentinels  their  vigils  kept, 
At  early  morn  their  daily  task  renewed, 
Their  journey  ouAvard,  onward  they  pursued. 


l8  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

After  they  arrived  at  Belfast,  they  jshi[)pe(l  for  Boston, 
Avhence  tliey  soon  reached  New  Salem, 

Where  s!\ble  fur  a  ready  market  won, 
For  iniiffs  and  tippets  then  were  all  the  ton, 
And  those  of  lari^e  dimensions,  too,  were  sought, 
And  ladies  paid  full  well  for  all  they  bought. 

The  wiiter  well  recollects  the  facetious  account  they 
L,^ave  of  their  rude  effort  upon  snow-shoes,  and  their 
traveling  down  the  Mattawamkeag  and  Penobscot  rivers 
on  tlie  ice,  of  crossing  the  track  of  some  wonderful 
wild  animal,  where  the  creature  leaped  more  tlian  twenty 
feet  at  a  bound.  If,  while  we  relate  this  fact,  we  can 
divest  ourselves  of  the  possilnlity  of  its  reaching  the 
magnitude  of  a  *'  fish  story,"  we  must  suppose  that  the 
wilds  of  the  Penobscot  were  once  the  home  of  the 
l);int])er. 

The  inliabitants  of  Houlton,  retaining  the  Puritan 
character,  dulv  estimatin<T  the  advantafjes  of  earlv  mental 
culture,  procured  a  lOom  for  a  school,  in  the  house  of 
Joseph  Houlton,  Esq.,  and  employed  Samuel  Kendall, 
Jr.,  for  tlieir  teacher. 

Sei)tember  7,  1814,  Dea.  Samuel  Kemlall  and  family 
U'ft  New  Salem  for  Houlton,  accompanied  by  Edwin 
Townscnd.  It  being  in  time  of  war,  we  came  by  land, 
\\  itli  wagons  to  Bangor.  On  our  passage,  in  man}*  places, 
\\  «■  met  fainilies  removing  from  Maine,  in  wagons,  drawn 
l»y  four  and  six  oxen,  plodding  tlieir  way  patiently  along, 
where  ihcii  heavy-loaded  teams  had  beaten  the  roads,  in 
many  sections,  to  one  connnon  bed  of  mortar  ;  all  bound 
lor  Ohio.  Many  of  them  dis[)osed  of  their  property  at 
great  sacrifice,  leaving  their  now  fertile  lands  and  com- 
f()rt;d)le  homes,  venturing  their  all  upon  the  hazardous 
enterprise,  without  even  previously  making  a  location. 
So  great  was  the  rush  then  for  Ohio,  that  the  taverns 
were  crowded  with  emigrants,  who  on  iiKiuirv  learnino- 
that    we  Were    bound    for    the    eastward,  their    attention 


HISTORY    OP'    IIOULTON.  I9 

was  at  once  arrested,  and  tlie  interrogatories  to  wliicdi 
we  were  subjected,  were  marshaled  with  the  scrutiny  of 
an  inquisition.  Tliey  exclaimed  to  us,  "  You  are  wrong 
— what  I  going  into  the  wilds  of  the  interior  of  Maine? 
the  very  jumping  off  place  of  all  creation  !"  After  lis- 
tening to  their  unqualified  salutations,  we  must  confess 
we  felt  some  twitcliing  qualms  of  conscience  that  our 
father  did  not  accept  the  offer  of  his  nephew,  James 
Prentiss  of  Boston,  wlio  said  he  would  give  him  all  the 
land  himself  and  sons  would  improve  in  the  State  of 
Kentucky,  if  he  would  remove  there  ;  but  in  the  Provi- 
dence of  God,  our  destiny  was  in  Aroostook.  However, 
not  long  after  those  families  whom  we  met,  reached  their 
destination  in  Ohio,  we  were  credibly  informed  that 
many  were  attacked  witli  the  fever,  and  sighed  for  the 
salubrious  air  of  New  England ;  yea,  would  have  been 
glad  had  they  never  left  Maine. 

But  to  pursue  our  journey,  we  sold  our  liorses  and 
wagons  at  Bangor,  where  we  arrived  ten  days  atter  it 
was  besieged  by  the  British.  The  vessels  tlien  being 
built  were  burnt  on  the  stocks,  the  buildings  here  and 
tiiei-e  were  perforated  with  grape-shot  and  sliattered,  the 
academy  windows  broken,  and  the  place,  tliough  but  a 
village,  presented  the  habiliments  of  mourning.  Tiic 
children,  as  if  uiieonscious  of  their  devastated  homes, 
were  at   |)lay  in   the  streets  with  the  cannon   balls. 

At  Old  Town,  twelve  uiih's  above  Bangor,  we  hired 
seven  men.  live  of  whom  were  Indians,  with  bark  canoes, 
to  convey  the  family  and  goods,  accompanied  by  Messrs. 
Marshall  and  Butterfield,  making  nine  loaded  canoes,  all 
bound  for  the  River  St.  John.  We  liad  wh;it  might  be 
called  -a  social  time.  Canqtiug  out  nights  was  a  novel 
thing  to  us,  and  an  Indian  we  had  never  seen  before  ; 
and  they  were  rather  frolicsome,  though  we  gave  them 
no  stimulant  to  excite  them.  They  were  joking  and 
singing   with  the  playfulness    and  innocence  of  children. 


20  H!<Vv^>;V    OF    HOTLTOX. 

YouQg  Petx>|vVivk.  l^  yei\r^.  g^ive  ii  specimen  of 

the  IndUii  dAUC^,  -  ....  ^  hi$  shot-honi  and  singing  in 
a  vjirietL  gutleral  tone,  el-ba4ov>k.  took-take-take-moha, 
r^pe«ti»»g  tiieir  t^to  us  unme^antng^  mon<t>synables,  hopping 
np  aad  d«<>wn.  '"  "  ^^ng  on  eaeii  foot*  his  Ixidr  inclining 
fori*-ard.  with  ;g  e!bovr>i,  which  giive  him  a  most 

iudicnoifts  appearance,  until  fi»m  this  monotonous  gam~ 
Inkling,  he  S>>eeame  exhausted,  then  he  would  close  his 
fandango  wid\  hu^e^-cha !  on  a  high  key-note. 

Old  Matttunis  was  a  brawny,  clear-blooded  Aboriginal 
who.    though  not  so  much  of  a  ^  *       .  yet   sustained 

his  part  to  admiration,  while  the  —  .  ...dians  appeared 
ctjuaUy  to  enjoy  th«  comic  repast.  Peeopold  was  distin- 
guished for  vivacity,  intrepidity,  symmetry  of  form  and 
manly  betauty.  He  came  in  the  same  bark  with  the 
writer,  and  we  lelieve  the  history  of  the  s^me  Peeo|K>ld 
has  neiciendy  been  published*  iSrhase  life^  if  carried  out  as 

tK  ,  ,  .     ^ ^>ed  at 

the  house   of  Samuei  Wheeler,  who  received  us   kindly. 
Our  lodgi    .  of  a  field  bed,  which  covered  tiie 

ior.  And  -       ...    :inQiwded  at  that.     In  the  morning 
^hed  ocBr  heavy  laden  barks  up  the  smooth  water 
^^-  .  h  at  If  o'clock.  Ijiefore 

a  "  ■  ........  ^^  '   '  ''^^'-"rz  the  tea:    we 

were  -  ^r  way  wi:  A.  with  sturdy 

-  measmrevi  with  equal:  pace,   until  the 
■""'•^     •»•"■  -    .-:". -..■^  "^    :f   *.h.:  >.:r«^7''    elm  from  the 

idland  to  v,:   ^,1     .     .    ^ r^^pare  for  the 

night :    when  we  arrived  at  Mr.  A.  Haynes'.  whose    se- 
~  -    f ro«i  the  river,  as  we 

e   we  were  conlially  re- 
ceived.    After  an  early  breakfast  we  left   onr  hospitable 
.»  were  the  uppermost   settlers-  on   the  river. 
rd  our  way  a  day's  jonmey  onward,  where  on 
the  eastern  Innk  we  bctied  our  ftail  eraft.  and  made  our 


HISTORY    OF    HOUI.TON.  21 

l»fd  of  ])()ucrhH  })efore  a  ciackling  fire,  by  wlucli  \\v,  witli 
kccw  a[>|)('tite,  partook  of  our  simple  fare,  and  lay  down, 
|)arlicnlarly  biddinr^  adieu  to  surrounding  objects,  Somnus 
prcsidinc^  over  our  nnr)tley  group  until  tlie  day  star  ro^e, 
when  with  eager  haste  we  pre]:)ared  onr  frugal  meal,  of 
which  we  all  ate  with  thankful  hearts,  and  loading  our 
oanoes,  we  resumed  our  onward  course.  After  a  fatiguing 
day,  forcing  our  way  against  a  strong  current,  we  ariived 
at  what  was  called  Gordon's  Falls,  on  the  Mattawam- 
keag,  where  we  stopped  for  the  night,  under  an  old  roof, 
the  raftc^rs  of  which  stoorl  on  the  ground  ;  expecting  to 
find  more  ample  accon^modations  than  where  we  had  nr» 
shelter,  save  the  forest  a,nd  the  broad  blue  canopy  of 
heaven;  but  to  our  utter  disap[;ointment,  we  were  an- 
no3'ed  all  night  with  myriads  of  insects,  which,  for  the 
time  being-  were  as  bad,  or  worse  than  the  ten  plagues 
of  Egyj)t.  The  next  morning,  after  a  sleepless,  and,  T 
might  say  rrstleftft  night,  we  poked  our  way  along,  follow- 
ing the  meanderings  of  the  MatUiwamkf  ag,  every  now 
and  then  losing  our  whereabouts,  from  the  perpetual 
windings  of  the  dead  watejs,  but  weie  delighted  witli 
the  l)eauty  ofthe  surronnrliug  scenery,  in  the  stillness 
of  a  ch'ar  October  mooidight, ;  the  (dm  heie  and  there, 
with  its  bending  top,  though  recently  shorn  of  its  foli- 
age, still  appeared  as  if  planted  by  the  har.d  of  art:  and 
the  banks  elevated  to  secure  the  table-lands  from  freshet 
tide,  with  shrubbery  enough  to  give  it  the  appearance 
of  a  tastefully  cultivated  garden  ;  where  the  autumnal 
leaf  in  its  golden  hue,  carpeted  the  spongy  surface,  and 
fringed  the  alluvial  shore.  From  the  Mattawamkeag  we 
came  to  the  I>askahegan,  where  at  the  falls  we  caught  a 
sui)ply  of  the  largest,  fattest  trout  we  ever  saw.  Whence 
wf;  followed  the  stream  to  the  portage  at  the  Schoodic 
f.ake,  wherr  we  tarried  for  the  night.  It  b(;ing  late, 
I  (Jld  Mattannis  went  astray,  and  it  was  quite  dark  before 
I  he  found  the    companv.     Heinff    asked  'what    he     would 


22  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON, 

have  clone  bad  he  not  found  the  camp,  he  said,  "  Oh, 
spoze  me  starve  three  days,  then,  eatnm  sable,''  as  if  by 
that  time  nothing  would  come  amiss.  In  the  morning, 
liaving  carried  our  canoes  and  baggage  to  the  western 
sliore,  we  launched  our  flotilla  in  the  waters  of  the  lim- 
pid lake,  wliich  then,  to  us  inlanders,  appeared  rather 
oceanic.  In  the  afternoon  we  encountered  a  squall  that 
beat  against  our  frail  bark,  occasionally  dasliing  over  the 
gunwale  ui)on  us  ;  at  tiuies  we  feared  the  boats  would 
till  and  sink  with  their  valuable  freight,  but  we  ventured 
to  follow  our  pilot,  one  after  another  in  ti'ue  Indian 
file.  It  is  astonishing  to  see  with  what  dexterit}'  the 
Indians  control  their  canoes,  propelling  them  so  steadily 
and  safely  against  the  surging  waves,  and  the  whirling, 
foaming  current.  From  the  lake  we  passed  down  Eel 
river  to  the  carrying  place,  as  it  is  called,  to  the  St. 
John,  where  we  were  obliged  to  lug  all  our  baggage 
four  or  five  miles,  dodixincr  alouof  the  windinc^s  of  a 
bridle  i)ath.  After  six  weeks  journeyii.g  through  the 
country,  up  the  rivers  and  over  lakes,  we  arrived  at 
Iloulton,  happy  to  see  our  old  friends  and  neighbors, 
who  met  us  with  affectionate  salutations.  Truly  tliauk- 
ful  were  we  to  Him  who  guided  our  footsteps  and  led 
us  gently  through  this  laborious,  perilous  journey,  and 
safely  landed  us  at  our  long-sought,  anticipated  home. 
In  autumn,  James  U.  Taylor  and  family  removed 
fiom  the  Province  of  New  Brulls^^i('k  to  Iloulton.  In 
the  winter  following  Messrs.  (\irr  and  Carle,  from  Ken- 
nebec, came  to  Iloulton  and  built  a  HiMir-mill  at  the 
dam  of  A.  rulnam.  Mr.  ('air  was  a  millwright  an-l 
vocalist,  who  taught  school  evenings,  and  was  patron- 
ized by  the  youth  and  adults.  A  primary  school  for 
the  common  branches  was  tauglit  by  Samuel  Keiulall, 
Jr.,  in  an  apartment  of  a  large  house  "built  bv  Dr.  S. 
Rice.  Messrs.  Reed  and  Tilton  of  Kennebec,  came  to 
Houlton  where,  for  six  months,  thev  manufactured  scythe 


HISTORY    OF    1IOUI.TON.  23 

snatlis,  iittinn'  tlio  irons  to  tlie  wood,  for  wliich  thev 
found  a  i-eady  market  at  Iloulton,  and  in  the  Province, 
ut  #1.")0  per  stick. 

In  t^ie  summer  of  ISlo  .losluui  Putnam,  2d,  a  propii- 
etor  of  Iloulton,  and  Edmund.  Cone,  came  from  New 
Salem  to  reside  at  Iloulton.  At  this  time,  with  the 
exception  of  three  families,  the  inhabitants  of  Houlton 
consisted  principally  of  Houltons  and  Putnams ;  if  not 
all  of  those  names,  they  were  connected  by  marriage. 
Dea.  S.  Kendall  and  Dr.  S.  Rice  married  sisters,  the 
daughters  of  Joshua  Putnam,  Sr.,  who,  with  two  broth- 
ers, Amos  and  Ziel,  were  among  the  primitive  inhabitants 
of  New  Salem,  and  whose  native  place  was  Danvers, 
Mass. 

Here,  for  want  of  dates  we  depart  from  chronological 
order.  Samuel  Cook,  Esq.,  married  Sally  Houlton  ;  Eb- 
enezer  Warner  married  Polly  Houlton  ;  Isaac  Smith  of 
the  Province  of  New  Brunswick,  married  Lydia  Houlton  ; 
Jesse  Thompson  of  New  Salem,  married  Louisa,  daugh- 
ter of  Jose[)h  and  Sarah  Iloulton  ;  James"  Houlton  mar- 
ried Sally  Haskell  of  New  Salem  ;  Samuel  Houlton 
married  Sarah  Kendall;  Joseidi  Houlton,  Jr.,  married 
Elmira  Pay:  Amos  I*utnam  married  Priseilla  Worm- 
wood :  Stillman  J.  Putnam  married  Betsey  P)road  :  Ly- 
sander  Putnam  marrie(l  widow  Putli  V:\]\:  Aaron  I'ulii.iin. 
Jr.,  married  Maria  iiurleigli.  I'^rom  these  and  olliei- 
kindred  n;arriagos,  descended  a  numerous  offspring,  to 
the  second  and  third  generation,  who  at  this  day  con- 
stitute a  considerable  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Houlton,  thougli  some  have,  as  must  be  expected,  re- 
moved to  otlier  States  and  territories,  scattered  from 
Minnesota  to  Australia,  which  is  but  a  miniature  of  the 
common  lot  of  Adam's  posterity;  marrying  and  inter- 
mingling in  social  alliance,  as  if  to  fulfdl  the  destined 
mission  of  disseminating  light  and  knowledge  universal, 
which  amicable  intercourse  is  a  prominent  feature  of  the 


24  HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON. 

Ill  1816  the  British  and  American  Comniissioners, 
Beaiichet,  Campbell,  Johnson  and  Turner,  with  some 
sixty  men,  came  to  survey  the  boundary  line  between 
Afaiiie  and  the    Province    of   New    Brunswick,  accordinor 

o 

to  the  treaty  of  1783,  coininencin;^"  at  the  monument  at 
tlie  source  of  the  St.  Croix,  running  the  line  due  north 
to  the -highlands  which  separate  tin;  waters  that  flow 
into  the  Atlantic,  from  those  that  empty  into  the  St. 
I.awrence.  Having  run  the  line  some  fifty  miles  from 
the  monument  to  Mars  Hill,  cutting  an  avenue  sixteen 
feet  in  width,  twenty  miles  of  the  distance,  the  British 
commissioners,  Messrs.  Beauchet  and  Cam[)bell,  con- 
tended for  Mars  Hill  as  the  said  highlands,  l)ut  Messrs. 
Johnson  &  Turner  non-concurred  with  them.  They 
erected  a  temporary  observatory  on  Parks  Hill,  on  the 
cast  line  of  Houlton,  where,  with  their  tlieodolites  and 
instruments,  they  measured  distances  and  altitudes. 
The  men  were  equip[)ed  with  axes,  knives,  canteens  and 
knapsacks  well  stored.  Houlton  being  their  [)lace  of 
rendezv(Mis,  having  an  excellent  violinist  and  the  choicest 
liquors,  v.liich  at  that  time  seemed  indij^pensable  to  festive 
entertainments,  they  occasionally  met  the  citizens  of 
Houlton  in  friendly,  social  pastime,  whor,e  kind  atten- 
tions wei-e  reciprocated  with  cordial  salutations  by  our 
limited  circle. 

A  young  Indian  ii.vited  a  youth  of  Houlton  to  accom- 
l)any  him  on  a  hnnting  expedition.  The  young  man, 
jdeased  with  this  son  of  the  forest,  accepted  the  invita- 
tion. (Icli-htt'd  as  he  wa>  with  the  prospeet  of  such  a 
novel  excursion;  with  spirits  buoyant  with  the  anticipa- 
tion of  inexperienced  youth,  on  a  l»eautiful  September 
morning  started  otV,  with  his  Indian  friend,  for  the  hunt, 
with  the  entire  etpiipage  for  the  outfit,  with  gun,  hatchets, 
knives,  blankets,  and  provision.  After-  a  hard  drfy's 
tramp,  with  packs  nearly  as  weighty  as  themselves,  they 
came  to  a  stream   which,  for  a  distance    was  still  water, 


HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON.  25 

where  tliey  fouiid  it  expedient  to  procure  some  water 
craft  to  proceed.  Finding  it  difHicult  to  corstruct  a  raft 
which  tliev  could  propel  up-stream,  and  far  from  the 
growth  of  the  birch,  the  bark  of  wliich  canoes  were 
made,  the  next  morning,  after  a  niglit's  lodging  upon 
the  bank,  listening  to  tlie  music  of  the  owls  and  mos- 
quitos,  with  wliich,  however,  the  Indian,  too  familiar, 
lost  no  sleep,  they  found  a  large  spruce  which  they 
felled,  and  with  Indian  application  and  skill,  peeled  off 
the  bark  some  fifteen  feet  in  length,  which,  with  cedar 
si)lits  and  spruce  roots  for  thread,  they  constructed  a 
thing  which  carried  them  over  the  smooth  and  rough 
waters  to  the  hunting  ground.  Before  they  reached  this 
place  their  miniature  ark  became  leaky,  from  the  shoal 
places  over  which  tliey  hauled  it,  and  their  only  remedy 
was  to  bail  it  out  with  a  dipper,  which  was  no  desirable 
pastime,  while  hunted  by  the  flies  and  mosquitos.  In 
fact,  this  inexperienced  youth,  whose  fair  complexion  and 
tender  skin  was  a  rare  bait  for  those  bloodthirsty  legions 
to  feast  u[)on,  was  probably  not  aware  that  while  on 
this  anticipated  tour  of  [)leasure,  he  would  be  game  for 
such  a  i)estilential  swarm  of  insignijicants  whicli  neither 
give  or  ask  for  (quarter. 

While  p:uldling  their  rough,  shapeless  bark  over  the 
still  water  whieh,  mirror-like  rcHectcd  the  varied  colors 
of'- the  trestled  foliage,  i)endent  from  the  bending  tops, 
which  marked  the  irregular  windings  of  the  stream,  they 
proceeded  slowly  and  stealthily,  lest  they  should  frighten 
the  game,  both  on  the  hmd  and  water;  for  the  Indian 
was  so  expert  with  the  gun  that  he  woidd  shoot  game 
on  the  land,  ducks  on  the  wing  or  the  water,  while 
upon  his  seat  in  that  ticklish  spruce. 

The  manner  of  taking  the  beaver  is  with  the  utmost 
cunning  and  caution.  They  set  and  fasten  the  ti'aps 
under  water,  near  their  only  ingress  and  egress  to  their 
houses.     While  setting  them  they  are  careful  not  to  speak 


26  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

;t  word,  ex(,'ept  to  wliisper,  lest  they  be  heard,  and  be 
as  expeditious  as  possible,  lest  they  be  seen  ;  and  wliere 
they  liave  trodden  or  handh^d  aiiytliiiii;'  tliey  wash  or 
wet  witli  water,  to  prevent  their  scenting  them,  for  if 
ilit'v  diseover  any  marks  of  the  approach  of  man  to 
tlieir  liouses,  they  forsake  them  at  once.  Beavers  se})a- 
rate  in  families  by  pairs,  leaving  the  homestead  for  new 
and  favorable  locations,  for  if  they  remain  together  until 
they  l)ecome  numerous  aud  crowded  families,  tliey,  like 
certain  bipeds,  grow  churlish  and  quarrelsome,  and  not 
unfrecjuently  leave  marks  of  violence  wliicli  they  inflict 
upon  each  other.  Upon  separating  for  new  homes  they 
seek  places  where,  by  l)uilding  a  dam,  they  can  flow  a 
hirge  surface  for  tlieir  sphere  of  operations  and  security; 
l)uildiiig  their  houses  of  stick§,  (the  bark  of  which  is 
their  food,)  about  a  foot  long,  and  froui  one  to  Ave 
iucljes  through,  which  they  lay  in  a  mixture  of  mud 
and  grass;  the  Indians  say  their  masonry  is  done  with 
their  wide,  flat  tails.  When  their  houses  are  finished, 
l^eing  of  various  sizes,  they  resemble  the  form  of  a 
haycock.  The  inside  is  divided  into  upper  and  lower 
apartments,  in  order  to  suit  the  convenience  of  those 
amphil)ious  animals  at  high  or  low  water,  always  making 
their  entrance  under  water,  for  safety  from  the  approach 
of  enemies  above. 

Their  flesh  is  excellent,  when  well  prepared,  but  tUey 
are  seUhjm  taken  in  a  manner  to  bleed  them  pro^ierl}' ; 
they  are  so  exceedingly  shy,  they  are  rarely  caught  ex-. 
rej)tiiig  in  steel  tiaps,  wliieh  are  so  fastened  as  to  drown 
them.  When  in  the  winter  the  Indians  find  their  dams, 
they  cut  holes  and  drain  off  the  water.  Finding  their 
dams  broken  tiny  venture  out  nights  by  families,  on  the 
ice,  to  seek  an  asylum  from  the  marauders.  The  Indians, 
anticipating  their  removal,  lie  in  ambusli-for  them,  but 
when  thus  assaulted  they  often  prove  desperate  antago- 
nists, for  if  some  are  shot  dead,  others  finding  they  can 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  2*] 

iiKike  no  escape,  will  turn  upon  tluMr  pursuers,  and  as 
thei'e  are  generally  a  family  or  more  together,  they  fight 
a  bloody  battle.  The  Indians  get  badly  wounded  when 
they  slip  and  fall  on  the  ice,  as  they  sometimes  do  in 
their  encounter,  for  their  broad,  incisive  teeth  cut  wher- 
ever they  take  hold.  Those  that  were  taken  in  this 
manner  and  well  bled,  the  Indians  sometimes  brought  to 
Houlton,  where  they  found  a  ready  market.  The  tail 
of  a  large,  fat  beaver  is  esteemed  a  luxury  for  an  ei)i- 
cure. 

Sometimes  they  found  families  consisting  of  large  and 
small  beavers ;  after  catching  the  old  ones  they  would 
break  their  houses  and  take  the  little  ones,  bring  them 
to  Houlton  and  give  them  to  boys  to  domesticate  and 
sport  with ;  but  the  i>oor  captives  made  such  ado  and 
pined  so  for  their  dams,  that  the  owners  were  glad  to 
release  and  trust  them  to  their  native  element. 

But  to  retujii  to  our  juvenile  hunters  who,  for  several 
days,  traveled  the  forest  in  pursuit  of  various  kinds  of 
game,  trapping  the  beaver,  which  was  their  principal 
object,  then  left  for  home,  pretty  well  bled  by  the  flies, 
and  not  a  little  fatigued  from  the  jaunt,  but  proud  of 
the  trophies  of  their  chase. 

The  gnats,  or,  as  the  Indians  call  them,  all-lVi'lnMu  no- 
see-ems,  black  flies  and  mosquitos,  were  a  sore  annoy- 
ance to  the  first  settlers,  during  the  summer  months. 
They  were  obliged  to  make  smokes  in  their  door-yanis, 
two  or  three  hours  before  night  to  drive  them  from  X\\v'\i 
liouses  and  secure  repose  and  slee[).  The  woodman, 
while  felling  the  trees,  prepared  cedar-bark  smoke,  in 
the  form  of  a  cigar,  about  two  feet  long,  fastened  io 
their  hats,  lighted  at  one  end,  which  served  as  a  i)orta- 
ble  defense  against  them.  At  dry  times,  when  dangerous 
to  carry  fire,  they  used  fresh  butter  where  most  exi)Osed 
to  their  bites;  the  Indians  aj)plied  bear's  oil,  which, 
though  offensive,  was  allowed  the  best  protection.     The 


28  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

UxY^e  horse-flies  were  so  troublesome  that  it  was  not  safe 
to  leave  horses  fastened  so  that  they  eould  not  defend 
themselves,  except  in  the  shade  or  stahle.  In  pastures 
where  there  was  no  shelter,  people  [)ut  up  temporary 
(coverings  to  shield  them  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  but 
left  o})eu  to  the  circulation  of  tlie  air  on  every  side. 

During  the  heat  of  summer,  the  horses,  cattle  and 
sheep  would  feed  in  the  cool  of  the  morning,  then  flee 
to  those  shades  where  they  would  remain  till  four  or 
five  o'clock  P.  M.  It  was  found  expedient  to  make 
smoke  for  the  poor  dumb  beasts,  to  wliich  they  wouUl 
flee,  as  if  by  instinct,  where  they  had  no  otlier  protection 
from   those  troublesome  insects. 

It  is  said  there  is  nothing  made  in  vain,  but  to  finite 
man  many  things  appear  quite  irreconcilable, — yes,  to 
poor  microscopic  man,  of  few  and  evil  days,  of  compli- 
cate mechanism,  a  miracle  to  himself,  doomed  to  death, 
yet  indestructible,  naturally  depraved,  meeting  in  his 
fellow  his  co-equal  foe;  prone  to  doubt  his  divine  origin, 
and,  paradoxical  to  say,  at  war  with  his  own  constitu- 
ent elements. 

In  181G  the  series  of  cold  seasons  commenced,  when, 
it  was  said,  spots  were  discovered  on  the  sun's  disk. 
Those  frost}'  summers  reduced  the  inhabitants  to  severe 
privations.  At  Iloulton  it  even  snowed  in  June.  The 
birds  sought  shelter  wherever  they  could,  but  many  died 
of  the  cold.  Wheat  and  other  crops,  exce[)t  rye,  were 
cut  (»1T  by  untimely  frosts — potatoes  were  but  half  grown, 
— wheat,  our  i)rinci[)al  staff  for  bread,  was  so  badly 
smitten  as  to  ])i<)duee  an  unsavory  odor  to' the  olfactory 
nerves,  instead  of  lipening  to  the  accustomed  golden 
harvest,  and  jtrovin^-  more  than  a  remuneration  for  the 
labor  of  falling  and  clearing  of  the  forest.  These  were 
trying  times, — yea,  enough  to  produce  despondence  upon 
the  spirits  of  the  most  resolute  and  stout-hearted;  but 
kind  Providence,  ever  mindful  of  His  dependent  creatures, 


HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON.  29 

ui(l  not  leave  us  to  perisli  \vi(li  liuncrer.  The  creek, 
Avliicli  now  wears  the  same  ehannel  and  winds  it  way, 
fUviding  the  vilhi^c,  then  abounded  with  sahnon,  ttiat 
were  easily  eanoht,  (of  which  we  shall  say  more  here- 
after,) and  [cartridges  were  numerous  and  tiime  as  do- 
mestic fowls,  and  very  good.  The  wild  ducks,  thoufjh 
shy,  were  frequent  captives  of  the  hnnter  ;  and  the  sugar 
maple,  with  which  the  forest  abounds,  contributed  not  a 
little  to  our  comfort  and  sn[)port,  and  yielded  an  ample 
t^upply  of  sap,  from  which  was  made  syrup,  cand}'  and 
t^ugar  of  a  pure,  refined  quality,  being  wholesome,  nutri- 
tive and  delicious.  Cows  that  had  no  jcasture,  save  the 
woods,  which  furnished  a  supply  of  Solomon's  seal  and 
adder  tongue  during  the  summer  months,  gave  a  pail  of 
milk  at  night  and  morning,  from  which  were  made  one 
pound  of  butter  per  day,  and  of  good  quality. 

When  rye  flour  sold  at  Woodstock  for  SIT  per  barrel, 
the  inhabitants  were  obliged  to  adopt  a  simple  regimen, 
ehanging  new  milk  to  curd,  mixing  it  with  cream  and 
sugar,  whicii  was  both  nutritious  and  palatable,  a  good 
substitute  for  custard.  During  the  hard  times,  lumber- 
ing, however  delusive,  absorbed  the  capital  and  con- 
1  rolled  the  enterprise  of  the  people  of  the  country. 
Eighteen  inch  shingles  were  three  dollars  per  thou- 
sand, boards  ten  and  twelve  dollars  j)er  thousand,  and 
hewi'd  ton  tind)er  found  competition  at  a  high 
price.  From  the  signal  failure  of  crops,  the  farmers,  as 
an  alternative,  elianged  their  oecu[)ation  for  a  time,  and 
became  lumbermen,  consiMiuently  tlicir  farms  were  neg- 
lected. 

Boards  and  sliingles  were  rini  in  rafts  to  ^^'oods(o(■k 
and  Frederieton,  which  were  tlieir  principal  places  of 
market.  Ten  miles  below  IIf)ulton  there  are  falls  wIkmc 
thev  nnrafted,  carrvincr  the  hunbcr  some  fifty  lods  or 
more  over  a  rough  path,  dodging  the  trees,  bouncing 
;igainst  the  roots  and  rocks.     Tliis  Herculean   labor  was 


30  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

necessarily  [)err()rme(l    in    the  spring  and  autumn  fliirini;* 
the  time  of    a   fresliet. 

An  incident  connected  Avith  this  hazardous  enler[)rise- 
we  think  is  heie  deserving  a  place.  In  Noveml)er,  a 
young  man  and  a  boy  of  some  12  3^ears  started  for 
Woodstock  on  a  raft  of  shingles.  Being  unaccustomed 
to  rafting  and  running  shingles,  when  they  arrived  at 
the  falls,  the}^  barely  escaped  going  over,  which,  under 
such  circumstances, must  have  proved  inevitable  destruc- 
tion, but  with  their  utmost  eifort  they  landed  the  raft. 
The  next  morning,  having  lugged  their  shingles  over 
the  portage  and  rafted  again,  they  pushed  off  for  Wood- 
stock ;  they  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  before  they 
ran  upon  a  sand-bar.  which  tore  the  raft  all  to  pieces, 
the  shingles  floating  at  random — driven  by  wind  and 
current.  Catching  the  ax,  poles  and  packs,  they  put 
for  the  shore.  Having  made  a  raft  of  cedar,  they  floated 
<lown  to  Woodstock,  where  they  procured  provision,  a 
baik  canoe  and  a  bottle  of  Jamaica,  without  wliich,  in 
those  days,  it  would  have  been  thought  presum[)tion. 
exposed  to  the  cold  storms  of  November,  to  endure  the 
fatigue  ■  and  hardship  of  raftmen.  The  next  morning 
those  green  hands,  with  their  poles  and  i)addles,  worked 
tlieir  passage  up  some  five  miles,  the  water  freezing  to 
the  poles,  and  the  ballast  light,  so  that  a  misstep  would 
upset  the  ticklish  bark  ;  the  current  in  many  placies  deep 
and  strong,  dashing  alternately  from  shore  to  shore, 
in  their  liaste  to  reach  the  falls,  the  boy  at  the  bow. 
whose  pole  slipped  from  the  ledgy  bottom,  falling  on 
the  gunwale  it  cai)sized  instantly,  precipitating  tlicm  both 
head  foremost  into  the  cold  stream  of  some  eight  or  ten 
feet  of  water;  tlie  poor  boy  swam  for  life  to  the  nearest 
shore,  but  the  ledges  were  so  bluff,  it  was  impossible, 
for  some  distance,  to  get  foot-hold.  The -Other,  with  the 
locomotive  power  of  his  legs  and  one  hand,  while  with 
the  other  he  righted  the  canoe,  securing  the  parapherna- 


HISTORY    OF    HOUSTON.  3 1 

lia  of  poles,  paddles,  uiid  baggapfe,  with  great  eftbit 
jswam  to  the  shore  some  thirty  rods  below.  Resuinii)g 
their  i)hiees,  with  tlii;  greatest  exertion  to  keep  from 
freezing,  they  i)nshed  their  treacherous  bark  three  or 
four  miles,  when  they  u[)set  precisely  as  before,  having 
to  clear  for  tlie  shore  where  best  they  could.  Well  for 
them  that  they  were  expert  swimmers,  otlierwise  they 
must  have  drowned.  Beinii  soakini^  wet  and  nine  miles, 
from  inhabitants,  hreworks,  baggage,  blankets  all  satu- 
rated, and  tlie  little  fellow,  in  his  des[)erate  effort  to 
reach  the  sliore,  lost  off  one  shoe,  it  being  more  than 
half  a  mile  to  tlieir  place  of  camping,  provision  entirely 
wet,  and,  to  cap  the  climax,  the  bottle  sunken,  they 
were  in  a  quandary  about  what  to  do,  but  finally  they 
resolved  to  make  another  effort  to  gain  tlie  falls;  if  they 
could  find  no  fire  there  to  walk  the  shore  till  morning 
to  keep  from  freezing  to  death,  rather  than  abandon  the 
raft  and  leturn  to  Woodstock  without  accomplishing 
their  object.  Proceeding  with  caution,  they  at  last  • 
reached  the  falls,  with  clothes  stiff  with  frost,  cold  hands 
and  limbs  and  heavy  hearts,  but  scon,  to  their  infinite 
joy,  they  discovered  a  blazing  fire,  a  man  having  arrived 
there  that  day  and  made  provision  for  the  night.  Their 
Idankets  dripping  wet,  and  no  covering  but  the  canopy 
of  Heaven  theie  was  conseciuently  no  sleep  for  them. 
Placing  themselves  before  a  good  fire,  turning  round 
and  round,  smoking  and  steaming  like  old-fashioned 
basted  turkeys,  until  morning,  when  doubtless  tliey, 
with  drooping  lieads.  through  the  "keen  demands  of 
appetite,'*  partook  of  their  water-soaked  fare,  after  which 
they  proceeded  to  the  task  of  collecting  their  fragment- 
ary raft.  Having  succeeded  and  marketed  the  shingles 
at  Woodstock,  they  sluig  their  packs,  which  were  blank- 
ets tied  at  the  extreme  corners,  contaiiung  various  arti- 
cles, to  the  amount  of  some  thirty  or  forty  [)Ounds,  and 
trudged    home,   where    tliey    told   the    sad   story,    which. 


32  HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON. 

though  pitiful,  yet  extorted  hiiig-liter  from  the  fiicetious 
guests,  who,  listening  to  the  rehearsals  of  the  duckings 
tliey  had,  their  desperate  swimming  efforts  in  the  freez- 
ing element,  the  loss  af  shoe  and  bottle,  though  not  like 
honest  Gilpin,  who  broke  both  of  his  with  loss  of  hat 
and  wig,  exclaimed,  *"'  Such  fellows  wei'e  not  reared  in 
the  woods  to  be  frightened  at  an  owl  or  to  quail  before 
a  storm.'' 

In  the  autumn  Mr.  Amos  Putnam  took  a  horse  on  a 
raft  of  boards,  to  haul  them  hv  the  falls.  After  they 
arrived,  having  hauled  the  lumber,  at  night  the  horse 
was  turned  to  water,  but  suddeidy  disappeared.  Search 
was  made,  but  without  success.  In  the  morning,  they 
renewed  the  search,  but  witliout  success  as  before.  The 
animal  being  young  and  valuable,  Mr.  Putnam  employed 
several  men,  who  were  a  week  in  pursuit  of  bin),  but 
finally  gave  up  the  creature  for  lost. 

On  the  12th  of  February  following,  there  were  men 
with  teams  passing  down  the  creek,  upon  the  ice,  who 
discovered  the  track  of  a  horse,  which  they  followed  a 
short  distance  and  found  the  poor  brute  alive  in  the 
woods,  but  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton.  This  creature 
had  l)(HMi  from  fall  till  Feb.,  suffering  from  the  storms 
<»r  rain  and  snow,  limited  at  last  to  a  narrow  beat  of  a 
few  rods,  that  he  kept  open  by  bi-owsing,  without  water, 
Hhelter  or  food,  except  what  he  gathered  in  the  forest. 
The  poor  animal  was  taken  home  on  a  sled,  restored 
and  became  a  valuable  servant  for  years  after.  The 
above  incident,  we  believe,  surpasses  all  history  of  a 
horse's  endurance, — exposed  to  the  severities  of  a  winter 
of  liard  frosts  and  deep  snow  in  this  high  latitude. 
Cattle  have  rambled  off  many  miles  from  their  summer 
haunts  and  bctMi  found  alive,  by  lumbermen,  late  in 
winter,  but  a  horse   never  before,  to  mv'knowledore. 

Lumbering,  building  mills,  houses,  clearing  a  little 
here  and  there,  planting,  sowing,  fishing,  mowing,  were 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  33 

calling  for  renewed  effort.  J.  Houltoii,  Esq.,  built  a 
flour  mill  on  a  stream  near  the  north  line  of  Houlton, 
ond  Mr.  A.  Putnam  got  his  mill  in  operation,  which 
accommodated  the  inhabitants  of  Houlton  and  the  adja- 
cent settlements.  About  this  time,  Mr.  Samuel  Morrison, 
with  a  numerous  family  of  sons  and  daughters,  removed 
from  Limerick,  to  New  Limerick,  which  joins  Houlton 
on  the  west,  from  which,  at  the  time  of  burning  their 
felled  trees,  the  smoke  rose  promiscuously,  designating 
the  places  of  their  different  locations,  which,  though 
distant,  bore  a  social  aspect,  changing  their  solitary 
waste  to  cultivated  farms.  It  were  unnatural,  ungrate- 
ful to  dissociate  those  pioneers  of  this  vast  desert  from 
a  fraternal  co-partnership  in  this  common,  indispensable, 
3^ea,  noble  work  of  converting  the  wilderness  to  fruitful 
fields,  an<l  of  carrying  civilization  and  competency  to 
the  gloomy  abodes  of  poverty  and  ignorance,  and  asso- 
ciating the  progress  of  morality,  science  and  religion 
with  the  school-house,  the  seminary,  and  the  temple  for 
the  worship  of  God.  With  tlic  prosperity  of  these,  is 
identified  the  perfectibility  of  our  race,  fulfilling  our 
mission  on  earth,  with  a  well-grounded  hoi)e  of  a  bliss- 
ful  innnortality   l)eyond  tlie  grave. 

There  are  two  lakes,  called  the  Limerick  lakes,  of 
about  three  miles  in  length,  averaging  lialf  a  mile  in 
width,  rpon  the  t lioronglifare  between  the  hikes  there 
is  a  saw-mill,  the  property  of  Mr.  Moses  Drew,  some 
nine  miles  from  the  village  of  Houlton,  and  a  valuable 
quarry  of  lime  tone,  where  are  two  kilns,  iVoin  which 
Houlton  and  the  adjacent  country  are  su^jplied  with 
lime.  The  eastern  lake  is  separated  from  the  west 
branch  of  the  Meduxnakeag  by  a  swell  of  land,  running 
nearly  east  and  west,  upon  which  those  families  settled, 
presenting  a  romantic  view  of  the  lake  on  the  south, 
and  the  more  remote  settlement  at  the  north.  Those 
lakes   afforded    many    pleasure    excursions,  sometimes  on 


34 


[IISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 


rjifts,  in  log  canoes  or  skiffs,  frequently  combining  pas- 
time with  lishing,  which  was  found  expedient  iu  those 
days  of  all  work. 

There  were  valuable  fish  in  those  lakes,  but  the  salmon 
of  the  creek  were  valued  as  the  wealth  of  the  waters. 
The  mill-dams  were  beginning  to  obstruct  their  passage 
up,  l)ut  they  were  so  persevering  to  press  their  way 
over  the  falls  and  dams,  that  where  there  w^as  no  sluice 
or  fish-ways  made  for  them,  they  would  run  against  the 
water-wheels  while  tlie  mills  were  in  operation,  which 
would  kill  them  instantly.  While  striving  to  ascend  the 
falls,  they  are  sometimes  forced  back  against  the  rocks 
by  tlie  impetuosity  of  the  dashing  elements,  as  to  wound 
them  severely ;  for  they  have  often  been  caught  with  the 
scars  of  bruises  which  they  doubtless  received  from  the 
rocks  and  ledges.  When  hunted,  they  evince  a  great 
sagacity  on  being  wounded,  trying  every  nook  and  hole 
to  secrete  themselves  from  their  pursuers,  but  when 
deadly  wounded  by  the  spear,  if  they  escape,  the  eels 
find  them,  as  if  by  instinct,  commencing  at  the  wound, 
eating  their  way  until  they  devour  all  but  skin  and  bones. 
When  sought  by  the  spearmen,  with  their  canoe  and 
jack-light  of  bark  or  pitch-wood,  with  nets  above  and 
below  those  salmon  holes,  finding  themselves  in  circum- 
scribed limits,  and  tired  from  the  chase,  they  will  fall 
(•a})tives  almost  witliout  resistance  to  their  unrelenting 
foes.  To  escape  the  eye  of  the  fish-hawk  and  eagle, 
they  lie  in  deep  water  among  the  rocks,  exce[)t  at  night 
or  at  high  water,  wlien  they  venture  up  the  shoals  and 
rapids.  How  marked  is  the  hand  of  that  universal  Prov- 
idence, thus  to  send  the  scaly  treasures  of  the  deep  to 
force  their  way  up  the  rivers  and  streams  to  supply  the 
necessities  of  the  remote  and  destitute  creatures  of  His 
care ;  though  hunted  b\*  their  jiursuers  ^vith  nets  and 
spears,  on  their  passage  up,  yet  tlie  progress  of  those 
that  escape  is  oinvard  and  upward  :    overcoming   all   ob- 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  35 

stacks,  until  f'aitliful  to  their  progeny,  tliey  leave  their 
spawn,  after  which  they  become  poor  and  comparatively 
worthless,  and  return  with  the  floating  current  to  their 
oceanic  retreat,  beyond  the  reach  of  voracious  maji,  there 
to  be  nourished  and  restored,  but  again,  at  the  opening 
of  the  spring,  when  the  rivers  burst  their  ice-bound  fet- 
ters, to  perform  tlieir  annual  accustomed  tour. 

In  1817  Houlton  was  visited  by  speculators  from  Ban- 
gor, who  came  with  goods,  among  whom  were  Wood  & 
Bradbury,  and  sold  boots,  shoes,  tea,  tobacco,  cotton 
cloth  and  some  other  articles  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Houlton,  making  ample  profits,  though  the  difficulty  and 
expense  attending  transportation  must  have  been  con- 
siderable, as  packs,  carried  on  their  backs,  was  the  man- 
ner of  conveyance. 

Our  infant  colony,  consisting  of  all  ages,  with  the 
foreign  settlers,  began  to  extend  the  settlement,  and 
among  our  social  gatherings  might  be  seen  the  gray  locks 
that  shaded  the  temples  of  more  than  four-score  years, 
together  with  the  middle-aged,  and  the  peach  down  of 
infancy.  The  eldest  among  us  was  Mrs.  Lydia  Putnam, 
a  distinguished  female,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  two  set- 
tlements, claiming  a  residence  witli  the  primitive  iiiliab- 
itants  of  New  Salem. 

An  incident  connected  witli  her  early  life,  we  think 
is  deserving  of  a  place  here.  At  a  time,  in  absence  of 
her  husband.  Bruin  came  in  quest  of  game ;  finding 
naught  but  a  swine  in  a  pen  a  few  steps  from  the  door, 
made  an  assault  u})()u  the  poor  prisoner,  which  raised  a 
bitter  outcry  at  the  salutation  of  Ids  unwelcome  guest. 
The  young  matron,  hearing  the  alarm,  from  the  impulse 
of  tlie  moment,  seized  hvr  husband's  gun,  wliich  not 
being  charged,  resorted  to  the  next  efticient  weapon  for 
aggressive  warfare,  the  pitchfork,  with  which  she  made 
a  threatening  onset,  until  old  Bruin,  rising  upon  his  hind 
feet,  looked  between  his  paws,   witli  a  horrid  grin,  as  if 


36  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

to  stand  the  challenge  of  his  armed  assailant,  but  be- 
twixt tlie  rcjucaling  of  the  one,  and  the  persistent  ad- 
vances and  threats  of  the  other,  absconded,  leaving  liis 
captive  and  his  courageous  adversary  to  claim  the  honor 
of  triumph  and  be  entertained  with  his  own  music.  An 
alarm  being  given,  the  laborers  left  the  field  in  pursuits 
and  after  a  chase  of  a  mile  or  more  in  the  woods,  con- 
(]uered  him.  But  tliat  fearless  woman  evinced  the  spirit 
of  a  heroine  and  a  presence  of  mind  peculiar  to  herself, 
which  saved  the  poor  captive  from  falling  a  prey  to  the 
voracity  of  his  huge  antagonist.  Mrs.  Lydia  was  the 
widow  of  Amos  Putnam,  Sr.,  of  New  Salem,  and  left 
there  with  her  son  Aaron,  in  1805,  and  in  1809  removed 
from  Woodstock  to  Houlton,  ijs  before  mentioned.  Va- 
rying from  the  chronology  of  events,  we  will  here  notice 
her  decease,  which  occurred  at  the  residence  of  her  son- 
in-law,  Joseph  Houlton,  Esq.,  April  8,  1820,  after  a 
short  illness,  peculiar  to  the  decrepitude  of  four  score  and 
seven  years.  Mrs.  Putnam  was  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  New  Salem,  from  which  it  appears 
she  never  withdrew  her  connection.  Possessing  a  char- 
acter of  industry,  energy  and  perseverance,  united  with 
experience,  qualified  her  for  a  s[)here  of  usefulness  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  her  situation,  as  doctress  in  Houlton 
and  ill  ilic  Province,  there  being  no  physician  then 
above  Fredericton,  excepting  Doctor  Uice.  She  never 
refused  when  called  upon  to  go  the  distance  of  five  or 
ten  miles,  at  wliatever  season  of  the  year.  Hers  was 
emphatically  a  life  of  activity  and  usefulness,  down  to 
a  good  old  age,  and  her  death  was  lamented  by  numer- 
ous relatives  and  an  extensive  circle  of  friends  and  ac- 
(juaimanees. 

From  the  ellicient  aid  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harding,  we 
were  favored  with  the  missionary  labor  of  the  Rev.  Seth 
F.  Winslow,  of  Barre,  Mass.,  and  as  a  testimom'  of  the 
dee[)  interest  which   those  few  families  then  evinced  upon 


HISTORY    OF    HOl'LTON.  37 

the  subject  of  tlieir  spiritual  welfare,  we  will  refer  the 
reader  to  the  following-  records  : 

At  a  meetiug  of  the  church,  Sept.  20,  1818,  Samuel 
Cook,  havyig  been  propounded  as  candidate  for  a  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Iloulton 
Plantation,  was  received  into  tlie  church  in  due  form. 

Baptized  by  Rev.  Seth  E.  Winslow,  Sept.  '21,  1818:  — 
Elizabeth  Ann  and  Samuel  Dwight,  children  of  Samuel 
and  Betsy  Rice  ;  Elizabeth  Hanley,  an  adcjpted  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Betsy  Rice;  Aaron  Randolph,  son  of 
Aaron  and  Isa  Putnam  ;  Fraidvlin  and  Harriet,  children 
of  Joshua  and  Ijetsey  Putnam  ;  Harrison  and  Lyman, 
children  of  James  and  Sally  Houlton  ;  James  and  Lydia, 
children  of  Samuel  and  Sally  Cook  ;  Mar}^  Joseph  and 
Fanny,  childen  of  Ebenezer  and  Polly  Warner ;  PrisciUa 
Emerson,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sally  Wormwood ; 
Joseph  Broadstreet,  Samuel.  Nathan,  Thomas,  Elizabeth 
and  Jonathan,  children  of  Samuel  Parks  and  his  wife, 
members  of  a  Baptist  Church. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Plantation  of 
Houlton,  Oct.  10,  1818,  the  First  Congregational  Church 
in  said  Hcudton,   with  others  present. 

Voted ^  That  they  give  the  Rev.  Seth  E.  Winslow  an 
invitation  to  settle  \\\i\\  tliem  and  labor  among  them  in 
the  gospel  ministry. 

looted.  That  the  sum  of  four  hundred  dollars  be  raised 
and   i)'du\  to  said   Winslow  annually,  as  his  stated  salary. 

Nov.  1,  1818,  Eleazer  J'ackard,  William  Williams  and 
Sarah  Kendall  were  received  in  the  usual  fornu  as  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Coufjrecrational  Church  in  H(»ullon 
Plantation.  Bai)tized  by  the  Rev.  Seth  K.  Winslow  : — 
Thomas  Painter  and  Khoda  (^aroline,  childien  ol"  Eleazer 
and  Ruth  Packard:  Ruth,  Maria  and  Nathan  IloMen, 
children  of  Eleazer  and  Lucinda   Packard. 

In  presence  of  the  congregation,  Mr.  Amos  I^itnam 
^vas  married   to   Mi>s   Priscilla    F.   A\^:)rniwood. 


^8  HISTORY    OF    noULTON. 

It  appears  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Winslow  was  faithful  in 
the  disci i;ir<>e  of  the  duties  of  his  mission,  and  tliat  his^ 
efforts  were  duly  ai)preciated  by  the  cliurch  and  inhib- 
itants  of  TToulton,  as  the  reader  may  learn ^  from  the 
subjoined  letter  of  Deacon  Samuel  Kendall: 

''  Houi.to:e^  Plantation,  Nov.  25,  1818. 

Mev.  Alpheus  Harding — Dear  Sir  :  — I  am  requested  by 
the  cliurch  of  Christ  and  otlier  inhabitants  of  the  Plan- 
tation of  Houlton,  so  called,  to  present  through  you,  as 
being  the  projier  organ  of  communication  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Evangelical  Missionary  Society,  you  being  one 
of  the  executive  committee  of  said  society,  and  also  the 
one  by  whom  Mr.  Winslow  received  his  commission, 
their  highest  sense  of  the  obligations  the\'  are  under  to 
said  society,  for  their  liberal  donation,  and  happy  choice 
in  the  missionary  employed  ;  and  as  a  token  of  their 
grateful  acknowledgment  for  the  favor  received  by  the 
friendly  aid  of  said  society,  they  have  collected  and 
committed  to  the  charge  of  Mr.  Winslow  'tSO,  to  be 
transmitted  to  said  society,  to  be  disposed  of  by  them 
at  their  discretion,  for  the  use  of  the  gospel  ministry. 

They  feel  their  inability  to  express  their  gratitude  for 
the  services  of  the  missionary  who  came  to  them  by  the 
means  of  your  benefaction,  whose  indefatigable  labors  of 
love  among  them  lor  nearly  three  months  past,  by 
l)reaching  the  gospel,  administering  the  ordinances  of 
bai)tism  and  the  Lord's  Supjier,  and  the  truly  kind,  ten- 
(h'r  and  afteclionate  nianiuM'  of  his  instructing  their 
children  and  youth,  have  excited  in  their  breasts  the 
warniost  emotions  of  gratitude  to  him  for  the  unwearied 
pains  he  hath  taken  with  them.  They  deem  it  a  priva- 
tion to  think  of  a  separation,  even  until  next  summer. 
Should  your  society  still  think  us  objects -of  your  further 
charity,  (as  we  verily  feel  ourselves  to  be,)  and  could 
consistently  render  us  tliat  aid  which    would   enable   us, 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON,  39 

witli  our  own  efforts,  to  sustain  a  pastor,  we  would  in- 
lUilc^e  the  hope  that  Mr.  VVinslow  will  be  prevailed  with 
to  settle  in  the  ministry  in  this  place.  He  has  given 
universal  satisfaction,  both  in  his  private  visits  and  pub- 
lic performances.'' 

The  writer,  having-  no  further  records  of  ecclesiastical 
history  until  1833,  aside  from  the  correspondence  of  Mr. 
Winslow^  and  Rev.  Mr.  Harding  with  Deacon  S.  Kendall, 
in  belialf  of  the  church  and  inliabitants  of  the  place, 
deems  it  a  duty  devolving  upon  liini  to  copy  extracts 
from  those  letters  which  are  inseparably  connected  with 
this  narrative,  and  will  be  read  with  interest  by  those 
wlio  have  witnessed  the  changes  and  vicissitudes  of  this 
little  oasis  of  the  desert. 

From  the  correspondence  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Winslow 
with  the  church  and  people  of  Houlton,  we  take  the 
following  extracts  : 

Sterling,  May  11,  1819. 

Dear  Sir : — You  being  deacon  of  the  little  flock  of 
Christ,  and  as  a  father  among  the  people  of  Houlton 
Plantation,  I  would  address  this  letter  to  you,  and 
tlirougli  you  to  all  those  to  whom  I  lately  ministered, 
and  for  whom  I  shall  ever  entertain  a  iirm  friendship  and 
affectionate  remembrance.  I  need  not  recount  tlie  kind- 
ness and  attention  I  received  while  among  you,  and  from 
tliose  who  accompanied  me  homeward,  whicli  endeared 
you  all  to  my  heart  ;  nor  need  I  advert  to  what  was 
still  more  encouraging,  the  reception  of  the  word  I 
preached  among  you — tlie  joining  of  some  to  the  I'ody 
of  Christ,  and,  as  I  trust,  a  spiritual  union  of  others  to 
him.  Suffice  it  for  me  to  say,  tliat  you  were  the  object 
of  my  desire,  and  if  it  had  been,  and  should  appear  to 
be  my  duty,  I  would  live  and  die  in  your  service.  *  * 
Xevertheless,  there  are  many  reasons  whicli  will  offei- 
themselves  to  vour  consideration  ;  such  as  the  disadvan- 


40  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

tacres  of  education — tlie  want  of  ministerial  aid  and  in- 
tercourse, &c.,  wl)icl]  strengthen  my  conviction  that  it 
is  not  my  duty  to  accept  your  offer  made.  Having  de- 
liheiately  exaniined  the  sul)ject,  and  consulted  judicious 
friends,  who  are  in  the  ministry  ;  moved  by  strong  feel- 
ings ill  your  interests,  I  have  prayerfully  submitted  the 
case  to  God,  for  His  direction,  and  find  myself  at  last  con- 
strained to  say,  however  unwelcome  it  may  be  to  the 
people  of  Houlton,  that  it  is  my  duty  to  remain  where  I 
am.  *  *  but  that  in  due  time  God  will  send  to  your  relief, 
one  who  shall  be  adapted  to  the  station,  and  become  a  father 
in  Christ  to  the  children  and  youth,  and  a  guide  and 
instructor  to  all  in  spiritual  and  divine  things.     *     * 

In  1819,  Mr.  Joseph  Jones,  foimerly  of  Falmouth, 
Me.,  removed  fi-om  the  Province  of  New  Brunswick  tc> 
Houlton,  with  a  numerous  family,  who  maiTied  and  set- 
tled in  Houlton  and  vicinity.  This  family  were  re- 
markable for  their  taste  and  talent  for  music,  botli  vocal 
and  instrumental,  and  when  together  constituted  a  choir 
of  themselves. 

But  Death,  that  insatiate  archer,  with  liis  ([uiver  of 
arrows,  has  laid  them  low,  one  l)y  one,  until  their  choir 
on  carih  is  l)roken,  and  several  of  tlieir  places  are  made 
vacant. 

The  iidial)iiants  of  Houlton  were  disapi)ointed  when 
tlic  Ri'v.  Mr.  Wiiislow  declined  acce[)ting  their  invita- 
tion to  settle  among  them  as  their  pastor,  as  the  reader 
may  infer  from  the  foregoing  extracts. 

During  Mr.  W'inslow's  mission,  the  inhabitants  met 
for  worshi])  in  a  hall,  in  the  dwelling-liouse  of  J.  Houlton, 
Esq.,  wliich  was  spacious  enough  to  convene  the  people 
of  Houlton  and  our  neighbors  in  the  Province  who 
united  witli  us.  Tliis  was  an  approi)riate  time,  as  it 
was  esteemed  to  be,  for  devout  praise  ancl  thanksgiving, 
and  one  long  to  be  clierished  among  the  most  pleasing 
and  profitable  retrospections  of  that  little  Hock,  who  had 


HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON.  4I 

formerly  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  tlie  preached  gospel 
under  the  pious  instruction  of  our  venerable  friend,  the 
Rev.  Alpheus  Harding,  who  ever  evinced  a  dee})  and 
lively  interest,  both  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  this  branch  of  his  former  church  and  congrega- 
tion. 

After  Mr.  Winslow  left,  agreeable  to  his  request,  the 
iidiabitants  did  not  forsake  assembling  together  on  the 
Sabbath,  for  the  social  worship  of  Him  who  vouchsafes 
to  bestow  His  spirit  in  answer  to  the  fervent  prayer  of 
his  faithful,  believing  followers;  irrespective  of  place  or 
circumstances,  either  in  th^  lowly  cottage,  the  retired 
closet,  or  the  solitary  desert.  His  worshippers  are  not 
confined  to  Jerusalem  to  pay  their  homage,  nor  their 
devotions  alone — 

In  the  gorgeous  walls  of  the  cathedral, 

Beneath  the  vaulted  arch  and  towering  spire. 
Where  the  organ's  pealing  notes  in  concert  svyell, 

To  chant  the  songs  of  praise  with  vocal  choir. 

As  there  weve  no  records  at  that  time,  except  the 
before-mentioned  correspondence,  we  are  happy  to  find 
the  following  letter  jimong  others  i)reserved  as  a  precious 
memorial  of  the  past : 

New  Salkm,  .May  \K  Is-JO. 

3Ii/  Dear  Sir: — In  behalf  of  the  bretlircii  of  the  cliurch 
of  Christ,  in  this  town,  I  have  a  lew  tilings  to  commu- 
nicate to  the  cliurch  of  (lirist  in  Houltoii  Plantation: 
and  as  you  were  long  a  member  and  ollicer  of  thi- 
church,  aiul  probably  the  ohk'st  member  there,  I  have 
thought   to   make   you    the   organ   of  coimiiuuication. 

We  heard  that  the  church  in  Houlton  IMantation  was 
destitute  of  furniture  suitable  for  the  conununion  taljle  : 
and  as  we  are  about  to  make  some  addition  to  the  fur- 
niture we  now  have,  the  bretliren  have  thought  fit  to 
make  a  present  of  a  part  of  the  service  now  belonging 
to  this  church.     We  shall  hend  by  the  bearer,  Mr.  Amos 


42  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

Putnam,  two  of  the  tankards  which  you  used  in  com- 
niemoratino-  the  sufferinors  and  death  of  our  dear  Re- 
deemer,  in  tliis  place.  We  give  those  as  a  pledge  that 
we  are  still  mindful  of  you,  though  far  separated  from 
us,  and  though  they  are  of  but  little  pecuniary  value, 
yet  being  the  vessels  we  have  so  often  used  on  that  solemn 
occasion,  (and  I  trust  I  may  add,  in  the  unit}'  of  the 
spirit,  and  in  the  bond  of  peace,  mutually  loving  one 
another,  and  desirous  of  one  another's  spiritual  good,) 
we  trust  you  will  receive  them  as  the  strong  pledge  of 
our  continued  love,  and  as  one  of  tlie  strongest  tokens 
of  our  earnest  desire  for  your  growth  in  grace,  and  in 
the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 
Those  vessels,  when  you  use  them,  and  as  often  as  you 
see  them,  will  call  to  your  remembrance  former  days  ; 
and  we  pray  the  time  may  not  be  far  distant,  when  you 
may  again  use  them  in  the  solemn  service  of  the  Lord, 
with  all  thut  mutual  affection  which  the  members  of  the 
same  body  ought  to  exercise  towards  one  another,  and 
with  that  sincere  love  of  the  brethren  which  tlie  Apostle 
tells  us,  is  the  strongest  of  love  to  God.  *  *  *  * 
Brethren  and  sisters,  my  heart's  desire  and  prayer  to  God 
is,  that  you  may  be  blessed  in  your  temporal  and  spirtual 
concerns, — that  you  may  live  in  love  and  peace,  and  that 
the  (xod  of  love  and  peace  may  be  with  you. 

Willi  these  sentiments  and  feelings,  I  subscribe  myself 
your  servant   in  the   Lord, 

Alimikus  Hardinu. 

Tiic  above  extract  needs  no  comment,  as  a  true  por- 
traiture of  the  feelings  and  desires  which  were  enter- 
tained and  cherished  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harding,  and  the 
members  of  tlie  church  in  New  Salem  towards  the  scat- 
tered sheep,  who  were,  and  had  been  for  years,  in  the 
wilderness   without  a  shepherd. 

Mr.  Amos  Putiiam,  of  New  Salem,  was  accompanied 
by   Messrs.  Amos  and  Abraham    Pearce,  sons  of  Varnej- 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  43 

Pearce,  Esq.,  of  New  Salem,  who,  for  many  years  repre- 
sented that  town  in  the  Legishitnre  of  Mass.,  and  was 
one  of  tlie  most  useful  and  influential  citi/xuis  in  that 
town,  and  Avas  liiiilily  esteemed  for  his  publie  services 
and  i)rivate  cliaracter,  as  a  gentleman  of  strict  integrity 
and  moral  worth.  Those  brothers,  possessing  a  proprie- 
tary sliare  in  the  half  township,  settled  under  favorable 
circumstances,  and  made  valuable  im[)rovements. 

Feb.  7,  1821,  a  society  was  organized  by  the  name  of 
Instructive  Companies,  the  object  of  which  was  moral 
and  literary  improvement.  The  members  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Samuel  Kendall,  Jr.,  Romaine  L.  Putnam,  Joshua 
G.  Kendall,  Edwin  Townsend,  Edmund  Coan,  Stern 
Putnam,  Jacob  Harward,  and  Joseph  Kendall.  They 
were  constitutionally  bound  to  meet  every  Thursday 
evening  from  September  to  March.  During  the  summer 
they  were  to  meet  the  last  Thursday  in  each  month. 
This  might  be  considered  as  a  small  beginning,  neverthe- 
less there  was  an  apparent  improvement  in  the  seveial 
compositions  of  the  members  during  the  operation  of  tlie 
society  ;  but  soon  our  President  removed  to  Woodstock, 
where  he  rendered  himself  useful  as  a  teacher,  and  tliis 
society  lost  its  organization.  The  crowding  earcs  and 
duties  inseparably  connected  with  our  laborious  situation 
soon  proved  that  our  life  did  not  consist  in  tlie  rhyme 
and  measure  of  poetry.  Falhng  trees,  cliopping  the 
logs  and  piling  tliem  together,  burning  and  clearing  off 
the  brands,  was  no  mere  fancy  work  for  delicate  hands 
and  frilled  bosoms:  still  the  farmer,  perhaps,  realizes  as 
much  satisfaction  and  enjoyment  as  the  literary  and  pro- 
fessional classes  of  men  whose  cares  and  duties  are  usu- 
ally augmented  by  their  increased  responsibilities,  if 
conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  their  obligations,  while 
the  husbandman  engages  in  his  vocation,  preparing  the 
prolific  soil,  in  the  opening  spring  sowing  the  variety 
of   seed,  planting    fruit    trees,    cultivating    the    garden, 


44  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

uniting  tlie  esculent  with  tlie  ornamental,  looking  for- 
ward, anticipating  an  ample  remuneration  for  his  labor  ; 
daily  witnessing  the  progress  of  vegetation,  from  the 
tender  blade  to  the  ear,  then  the  full  corn  and  ripe 
fruit  ;  and  then  conies  the  autumnal  gathering. 

"Oft  (lid  the  harvest  to  their  sickle  yield, 
Their  furrow  oft  Jihe  stubborn  glebe   has  broke  ; 

How  jocund  did  the}'  drive  their  team  afield, 
Ilow  bowed  the  wood  beneath  their  sturdy  stroke. 

Let  not  ambition  mock  their  useful  toil, 

Their  homely  joys,  and  destiny  obscure  ; 
Nor  grandeur  hear  with  a  disdainful  smile. 

The  short  and  simple  annals  of  the  poor." 

The  writer,  conforming  to  dates,  in  chi'onological  order, 
must  submit  to  many  abrupt  transitions,  from  the  moral, 
sentimental  and  religious,  to  secular  occurrences  of 
business  life. 

In  tlie  summer,  Ebenezer  Warner  built  a  mill-dam 
and  saw-mill  near  his  residence  at  the  falls  of  the  south 
l)ranfli  oi'  the  creek,  it  being  a  valuable  piivilege,  two 
miles  above  A.  Putnam's  mill,  at  the  villaere. 

In  1821,  Mr.  Timothy  Frisbie,  formerly  from  Frye- 
burg.  Me.,  removed  to  Houlton  from  the  Province  of 
X.  B..  where  he  was,  by  death,  bereaved  of  an  affection- 
ate companion,  leaving  a  husband  and  family  of  sons 
and  daughters  to  mourn  their  irreparable  loss.  The  fam- 
ily of  Mr.  Frisbie  now  constitute  a  portion  of  the  most 
influential  and  enterprising  inhabitants  of  Houlton  and 
vii'inity   where  they  are  settled. 

Ill  July  Mr.  Ilolman  Cary,  Thomas  Shaw  and  Haskell 
Cary  h^ft  New  Salem  for  Houlton,  to  visit  their  friends 
and-  sec  the  country. 

In  ^s^22,  Deaeoii  James  Russell  and  family  removed 
from  IJloomheld  to  Houlton,  wheie  they  resided  a  short 
time,  then  removed  to  Monticello,  but  soon_after  returned 
to  Houlton.  where  they  remained  until  the  decease  of 
Deacon  Russell,  whom  we  shall  have  occasion  to  mention 
more  particularly  hereafter. 


HISTORY    OF    IIOULTON.  45 

The  iiiliabitants  of  Iloiilton,  still  solicit ini^  missionary 
aid,  t^ic  l\ev.  Mr.  Harding  replies  in  answer  to  tlieir  com- 
munication, as  follows  : 

New  Salem,  Feb.  16,  1822. 

Your  letter,  dated  Dec.  29,  past,  favoied  by  Es(iniie 
Houlton,  I  liave  received,  and  read  with  much  interest. 
I  am  very  sensible,  dear  sir,  of  the  unpleasant  situation 
in  which  you  are  placed,  in  regard  to  Christian  privi- 
leges and  ordinances;  and  have  no  doubt  your  situation 
will  meet  the  sympathy  of  the  Evangelical  Missionary 
Society.  Agreeably  to  the  request  of  the  inhabitants, 
expressed  by  you,  as  their  agent,  I  will  present  your 
situation  before  the  executive  committee  of  that  society. 
*  *  I  do  not  know  the  exact  state  of  the  funds  at  the 
present  time,  nor  whether  they  will  be  able  to  send  a  mis- 
sionary the  present  year.  If  they  should,  I  will  exert 
my  influence  to  have  one  who  shall  not  only  have  the 
common  qualifications  of  a  missionary  in  a  teaoher  of 
leligion,  but  one  who  may  be  peculiarly  qualified  for 
your  particular  situation  ;  one  who  will  seek  for  the  pro- 
motion and  prosperity  of  the  people,  in  a  temporal  as 
well  as  s[)iritual  view.  What  you  intimate  in  your  letter 
about  my  visiting  you,  has  been  a  subject  of  conversa- 
tion between  Esquire  Pearce,  Col.  Putnam  and  myself, 
before  receiving  your  letter,  and  we  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  to  visit  your  i)lantati(in  in  c()nii>any,  whi-n  a 
road  should  be  made  passable  fronj  I^angor  there,  lint, 
dear  sir,  you  are  sensible  tliat  such  an  agicement  could 
not  have  been  made  without  some  preliminary  conditions. 
These  conditions  were  so  numerous  that  I  hardly  dart- 
promise  myself  the  pleasure  of  sucli  a  visit.  'I'hc  prin- 
cipal conditions  on  my  part  weie,  the  health  of  my  fam- 
ily and  the  situation  of  ilic  ]>arisli.  *  *  *"  Should 
health  be  restored  in  luv  family,  or  so  far  restored  that 
dutv  would  not  demand  my  particular  attention  at  liome, 
and  the  circumstances  of  the  parish  be    such    as    in    the 


46  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

view  of  judicious  members  of  the  church  aud  society- 
would  warriiut  an  absence  of  three  or  four  months,  I 
shall  fulfil  my  en^ragements  with  Esquire  Pe^irce  and 
Colonel  Putnam,  and  with  them  visit  you  in  the  course 
of  a  year  or  two,  or  as  soon  as  a  road  shall  be  passal)le 
from   Bangor  to  Houlton  Plantation.     *     *     * 

I  remain,  as  always,  j^our  constant  friend  and  devoted 
servant  in  our  common  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

Alpheus  Harding. 
Dea.  Samuel  Kendall. 

We  presume  our  estimable  friend  did  not  then  anticipate 
seeing  the  day  when  he  could  take  a  passage  on  the 
rail  car  from  Bangor  to  Oldtown,  thence  up  the  liver, 
nearly  half  the  distance  to  Houlton,  on  board  the  steam- 
boat; or  of  a  railroad  so  far  in  progress,  on  the  same 
route ;  nor  when  the  people  of  tiiis  county  would  be 
looking  to  the  time  not  far  distant,  when  the  iron 
horse,  w4th  his  shrill  neigh,  warning  his  approach,  would 
come  laden  to  exchange  commodities  for  the  products  of 
Aroostook.  We  rejoice  that  ]\Iaine  is  not  without  her 
distinguished  sons,  who  possess  polic\',  forecast  and  acu- 
men, whose  influence  and  talents  are  arrayed  with  the 
Avisdom  and  experience  of  successful  advocates  up(^n  the 
subject  of  this  noble  ei.terprise,  and  we  hope,  ere  long, 
Maine  will  prove  her  efficiency,  by  engaging  more  fully 
in  this  contemplated  gigantic  work  of  philanthropy, 
which  will  open  an  avenue  to  north-eastern  Maine  for 
the  encouragement  and  signal  benefit  of  an  increasing 
population,  ot  a  hardy,  stalwart  yeomanry,  possessing  in- 
dustry, enterprise  and  intelligence,  who  will  develop  the 
resources  of  this  extensive  domain,  convertinq;  the  forest 
to  ^'fruitful  fields,"  when  the  hills  and  valleys  shall 
echo  with  the  bleating  of  flocks  and  lowing  of  herds. 
Such  a  people  may  be  denominated  the  bone  and  sinew 
of  a  nation — yea,  constitute  the  safeguard  and  stability 
of  a  republic. 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON,  47 

We  congratuliite  our  liritisli  nei^libors  in  the  [)ios})ect, 
ere  long,  of  the  eonii)leti()n  of  the  St.  Andrews  raih'oad, 
u[)  to  the  hititude  of  Woodstock  and  Iloulton,  and  in 
h)ngitude  nearly  equi-<listant  between  the  tw^o  places. 

In  March,  1822,  Moses  White,  Esq.,  and  Jason  Cnm- 
niings,  being  apprised  of  the  exorbitant  prices  of  various 
articles  of  trade  at  Houlton  and  in  the  Province,  left 
Bangor  with  a  load  of  goods,  which  the,y  conveyed  with 
a  horse-team  upon  the  ice  up  the  Penobscot  and  'Matta- 
waudveag  rivers,  from  thence  they  hauled  them  on  to- 
hogfjins,  as  the  Indians  call  them,  a  sort  of  sled  with 
one  runner,  made  of  birch-bark,  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches 
wide,  and  about  six  feet  long.  Finding  their  fireworks, 
<lamp,  their  only  alternative  was  to  camp  without  fire, 
which  must  have  been  rather  a  cool  berth  for  them  at 
that  season,  and  though  they  removed  the  snow  with  a 
shovel,  for  a  place  to  lie,  yet  they  were  without  shelter, 
save  the  woods,  with  each  a  blanket  in  which  to  en- 
velop himself,  they  lay  themselves  down  upon  their 
bed  of  boughs,  if  not  to  the  embrace  of  somnus  and  de- 
lectable dreams,  at  least  with  the  forlorn  prospect  of 
suffering  endurance  till  morning,  which  must  have  been 
admirably  verified.  After  breakfasting  upon  tlieir  frozen 
larc;  and  cold  beverage,  they  traveled  through  to  Houlton, 
where  they  sold  their  goods  at  advanced  prices  for  fur, 
which  was  then   an   object  of  speculation. 

There  having  been  grants  of  townships  in  this  new 
section  of  country,  to  several  institutions,  the  attention 
of  capitalists  was  attracted  eastward,  wiili  a  view  of 
speculating  in  wild  lan<ls.  I5ut  with  some  it  piove(l  an 
unfortunate  enterprise.  Nathaniel  Ingcisoll,  Kscp,  :»f 
New  (iloucester,  having  an  inteicst  in  Williams  College 
Grant  to  the  amount  of  •"^G.'.OO,  and  in  Westfoid  Academy 
(h-ant  of  -^3500,  frequently  visited  Houlton,  with  a  view 
ultimately,  of  an  advantageous  sale,  which,  at  the  time 
of  his  purchase,  might   have  been  considered,  at   least,  a 


48  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

safe  inve;^tment.  But  the  tide  of  emi<»Tation  coiitiiiiit-<] 
westward,  and  those  lands  remained  in  their  primeval 
state,  notwithstanding  all  the  inducements  which  could 
reasonably  be  offered  to  settlers  by  proprietors  at  thai 
time,  consequently  this  venerable  gentleman  sacrificed 
.f8,000  of  .flO,000  invested  in   those  two  grants. 

Doctor  Samuel  Rice,  after  a  residence  of  twelve  years 
at  Houlton,  having  been  our  physician,  and  improved 
from  a  forest  state  a  valuable  farm,  with  good  buiklings, 
removed  to  Woodstock,  where  his  practice  was  greatly 
increased,  but  much  to  the  inconvenience  of  tlie  people 
of  Houlton  and  vicinity.  The  absence  of  himself  and 
family  made  a  great  void  in  our  society.  They  were 
highly  esteemed,  and  by  his  removal  the  inhal)itants 
sustained  the  loss  of  a  valuable  physician,  citizen  and 
friend.  Prior  to  his  removal  from  New  Salem,  lie  was 
the  most  popular  physician  of  that  town,  and  duiing 
his  residence  at  Houlton  he  had  an  extensive  practice — 
receiving  frequent  calls  from  the  Province,  of  from  ten 
to  fifty  miles  distant,  with  which  he  complied  at  all 
seasons,  however  inclement  the  weather,  or  unfavorable 
the  circumstances,  and  was  conscientious  in   his  charges. 

During  tlie  summer  Messrs.  James  and  Peleg  Lander, 
sons  of  Tliomas  Lander,  of  Fairfield,  came  to  Houlton, 
where  they  became  residents. 

In  the  winter,  Messrs.  Wadleigh,  Ayer  and  Stiiison 
came  from  Bangor  with  several  loads  of  goods,  hauled 
by  horses  harnessed  one  before  the  other,  following  the 
Penobscot,  Mattawamkeag,  and  Baskahegan  ui)on  the 
ice,  from  thence  making  the  shortest  transit  to  Houlton, 
that  being  the  depot  for  those  foret^f  merchants.  Their 
goods  being  subject  to  high  duties,  the  people  from  the 
Province  came  there  for  vaiious  articles. 

At  that  time  Houlton  began  to  bear  ihe  appearance 
of  a  sort  of  miniature  forest  market.  Those  speculators 
increased  their   stock,  as   well   they    might,   where   goods 


HISTORY    OF    HOUSTON.  49 

sold  at  such  exorbitant  prices.  The  reader  must  eitlier 
siip[)Ose  that  money  was  very  plenty,  or  of  but  little 
value,  or  that  thick,  cowhide  boots  were  a  scarce  article, 
to  command  the  California  price  of  nine  dollars  a  pair, 
which  lias  been  paid  for  those  brought  to  Iloulton.  No 
wonder  tliat  young  men  of  enterprise,  engaged  in  the 
transportation  of  goods  througli  the  woods,  as  it  was 
caHed,  from  Bangor  to  Houlton,  even  though  tliey  had 
to  travel  on  the  ice  of  those  serpentine  streams,  driving 
their  horses  tandem  upon  a  zigzag  patli  for  many  miles 
in  the  woods  to  their  place  of  destination,  for  their  tav- 
ern bills  for  entertainment,  at  that  time,  from  Bangor  to 
Houlton,  mu'st  have  been  rather  small. 

They,  o'er  the  ice  bound,  fettered  streams, 

Pursued  their  journey,  long  and  cold  ; 
While  sparkling  snow  in  sunlight  gleamed, 

Their  treasures  in  the  forest  sold. 

The  long  winter  evenings  were  occupied  by  the  youth 
in  the  social  and  improving  study  and  practice  of  vocal 
music,  who  were  instructed  by  Mr.  Putnam  Shaw,  who 
also  taught  day  school  in  the  usual  branches,  in  both  of 
which  he  received  a  liberal  patronage. 

In  the  spring  of  1<S2:],  Mr.  Holman  Gary  and  family 
removed  from  New^  Salem  to  Houlton,  and  were  greeted 
with  a  cordial  welcome  by  their  former  acquaintances 
and  friends,  as  an  aiMjuisition  to  our  liltlc  circh'.  which 
had  drawn  on  the  old  Hay  State,  prin(i[>ally  for  what 
they  then  were.  In  the  autumn,  James  and  Peleg  Lander, 
having  purchased  tlu'  mill  of  Aaron  I'uiiiani  which  was 
built  in  1810.  lemoved  it  and  erected  a  new  saw  mill 
upon  the  same  site,  which  proved  valuable  property,— 
pine  timber  being  al.undant.  and  coninninding  a  high 
price  at  the  principal  markets.  Mr.  Joseph  Stevens  and 
family  removed  from  Fredericton,  N.  B.,  to  Houlton, 
where  they  resided.  Mr.  Stevens  was  esteemed,  as  an 
active,  useful  artisan. 


50  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

Ill  October,  1824,  Moses  White,  Esq.,  left  Houlton 
for  Wiiithrop,  accompanied  to  Bangor  by  Amos  Putnam, 
Jacob  Haskell  and  Joseph  Kendall,  who  were  bound  for 
New  Salem,  their  native  place.  On  our  arrival  there, 
we  could  but  exclaim,  ''  What  a  change  even  ten  years 
have  made  in  that  place  !  "  The  youth  had  grown  up  ; 
many  had  removed,  and  others  died ;  but  there  stood 
the  old  meeting-house,  with  its  "  church-going  bell," 
which  had  so  long  marked  the  time  for  gathering  the 
worshipping  assembh',  who  softly  trod  the  'Mong  drawn 
aisle  "  to  their  respective  pews,  with  button  doors  and 
seats  which,  with  hinges,  rise  and  fall  ;  the  spacious 
gallery,  with  its  new  choir,  whose  voices  resounding 
*'  praise  divine," — and  more  than  all,  the  pulpit,  with  its 
former  occupant,  whose  familiar  voice  was  melody  to  the 
ears  of  his  long  absent  auditors,  from  whose  lips  they 
early  received  wise  and  judicious  instruction  and  admo- 
nition, which  are  ineffiaceably  impressed  upon  our  mem- 
ories, as  are  his  venerable  form  and  features.  There,  in 
the  cemetery,  stands  the  monuments  of  the  departed,, 
with  the  moss-grown  epitaphs  over  the  graves  of  our 
revered  ancestors,  which  remind  us  of  the  destiny  of  all 
succeeding  generations.  A  few  rods  distant  stands  the 
house  of  our  birth-place,  where  the  light  first  dawned 
upon  our  "infant  vision."  The  garden,  too,  with  its 
stone-wall  enclosure,  and  its  choice  fruit  trees,  which 
through  our  chamber  windows  used  to  cast  their  shadows 
in  the  radiance  of  the  morning  sun-beams, — these  were 
not  all  there  ;  the  corrodings  of  time  had  lessened  their 
numl)er  and  marred  their  beauty,  and  tlie  tall  pear  tree, 
divested  of  its  verdure  and  robbed  of  its  golden  treas- 
ure, stood  near,  and  the  orchard  at  the  north,  which 
produced  its  variety  of  specific  fruit,  where,  for  the 
celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  our  Nation's  brithday, 
the  people  assembled  beneath  its  shade,  seated  around 
the  long  spread  table,  loaded  with  delicious  viands.     At 


HISTORY    OK    HOULTON.  5l 

the  head  were  tlie  clergTmiin  luul  the  lion.  Saiiiucl  C 
Allen,  who  aiinouiieed  the  patriotic  toasts  wliich  were 
sii^nalized  by  the  repeated  roar  of  the  old  cannon.  Bnt 
the  ruthless  hand  of  Time  seems  to  suggest  to  us  the  inter- 
ogatory  of  where  are  now  those  guests  who  met  on  that 
joyful  festival, — that  devoted  band  of  patriots  and  philan- 
thropists, whose  bosoms  then  glowed  with  love  to  God  and 
man  ?  How  few  there  are  left  whose  mortal  remains 
have  not  long  slept  in  the  narrow  house,  but  whose 
spirits  have  flown  to  their  ultimate  reward. 

"  Can  storied  urn  or  animated  bust 

Back  to  its  mansion  call  the  fleeting  breath  ? 

Can  honor's  voice  provoke  the  silent  dust. 
Or  flattery  soothe  the  dull  cold  ear  of  death? 

Perhaps  in  that  neglected  spot  is  laid 

Some  heart  once  pregnant  with  celestial  fire ; 

Hands  that  the  rod  of  empire  might  have  swayed, 
Or  waked  to  ecstacy  the  living  lyre." 

The  grave,  that  cannibal  of  flesh,  has  gorged  its 
millions,  yet  wiser,  if  not  better,  each  succeeding  gen- 
eration grows,  and  onward  is  tlie  motto  of  the  present 
a<>-e  ;  and  what  will  not  vet  be  achieved,  since,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  success  has  crowned  the  eflbrts  made 
in  the  construction  of  the  Atlantic  telegraph.  Who  can 
now  name  an  object  of  so  vast  magnitude  and  practical 
bcaiincr  ih^dh  the  familv  of  niaiddnd,  that  would  rcipiirc 
the  united  skill,  art.  science  and  indoniilahlc  persever- 
ance of  two  natives,  or  even  the  world?  Canals,  rail- 
roads, team-bridges  and  telescopes  have  been  brought  to 
an  astoni>lnMl  perfectability,  and,  to  caj)  tin-  crunax. 
lightning  has  come,  as  Heaven's  vicegerent,  tracing  the 
submarine  cable,  annihilating  time  and  distance,  as  if  to 
aid  in  the  mighty  reform  when  a  nation  shall  be  born 
in  a  day!  Who,  then,  shall  doubt  the  fultilment,  and, 
ere  long,  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  in  its  spiritual 
sense,  ''when  the  wolf  also,  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb, 
and   the   leopard    shall    lie    down    with    the    kid,   and    th(j 


52  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

calf  and  tlie  voui]*'-  lion,  and  the  fatliiiGf  toi^etlier  ;  and 
a  little  cliild  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and  the 
bear  shall  feed  ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together  ; 
and  the  suckling  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the 
asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the 
cockatrice  den.  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all 
my  holy  mountain,  for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the   waters  cover  the  sea." 

Wlio  will  not  tlien  join  in  the  universal  anthem  of 
•••  (ilory  to  God  in  the  highesL,  peace  on  earth,  good 
will  to  men." 

In  Fe!)ruary,  1824,  Messrs.  Zebulon  and  Natlumiel, 
sons  of  Nathaniel  Ingersoll,  Senior,  of  New  Gloucester, 
of  whom  mention  has  been  made,  left  Bangor  in  com- 
pany with  James  Babcock,  with  five  or  six  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  goods,  destined  for  Houlton.  They 
came  on  the  ice  of  the  Penobscot,  Mattawamkeag  and 
Baskahegan  rivers,  thence  following  a  newly  cut  road 
for  horses  and  sleighs  to  pass.  On  this  route  is  a  horse- 
back, as  it  is  called,  upon  which  the  road  passes  four  or 
five  miles,  running  nearly  north  and  south,  crossing  an 
extensive  bog  of  two  or  tliree  mih^s  in  width,  wliicli 
lies  about  sixteen  miles  south  from  Houlton.  This 
horseback  is,  what  some  would  style,  one  of  nature's 
accidental  developnients  —  a  mere  production  of  i)lin(l 
chance,  void  of  design  or  plan;  but  we  would  rather 
ascribe  tlie  construction  of  that  turnpike  (just  wide 
enough  for  teams  to  pass,  without  falling  down  a  de- 
clivity of  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  into  a  marsli  which 
forms  a  striking  contrast  to  that  formidable  liigliway,) 
to  tlu'  universal  Arcliitcct.  by  wliom  it  appears  to  have 
been  made  to  facilitate  trans[)ortation  for  man,  the  lord 
of  His  creation  and  creature  of  His  care.  We  are  in- 
formed that  this  liorseback,  with  but  little^ interruption, 
excepting  wliure  tlie  diverging  streams  are  wont  to  pass, 
extends  in  a  northerly  direction  through  Amitv,  Xo.  11, 


HISTORY    OF    HOl'I.TON.  53 

HodgdoiJ,  Iloultoii,  and  continues  on  the  siinie  course 
to  an  indefinite  distance,  assuming,  as  it  does,  in  many 
places,  a  more  formidable  ridge  than  aV)ove  described, 
until  it  becomes  lost  in  the  swells  of  Aroostook.  These 
traders  having  arrived  at  Houlton,  Mr.  Z.  Ingersoll  re- 
mained in  the  vicinity  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness in  company  with  Messrs.  Joseph  and  Henry  Houlton, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Aroostook,  in  which  enterprise  tliey 
were  successful.  Mr.  Ingersoll,  for  many  years,  was 
rather  a  transient  inhabitant  of  Houlton  ;  and  still  lie 
might,  with  propriety,  be  styled  such,  although  himself 
and  famil}'  have  long  been  residents  of  the  place  ;  yet 
he  is  a  land-holder  in  Iowa,  which  calls  his  attention 
there  more  or  less  annual!}'. 

Mr.  Stephen  Pullen,  a  native  of  Waterville,  a  man  of 
industry  and  enterprise,  removed  from  New  Brunswick 
to  Houlton  and  purchased  the  farm  of  Doctor  S.  Rice, 
for  which  he  paid  11400. 

Durinor  the  summer  Rev.  Mr.  Howden,  a  Scotch  Pres- 
])yterian  from  the  Province,  visited  Houlton  with  his 
family,  where  he  preached  several  Sabbaths,  with  whom 
the  inhabitants  were  pleased,  and  made  an  effort  to  build 
him  a  house,  with  a  view  of  enjoying  his  ministerial 
labors  as  their  settled  pastor.  But  on  a  more  mature 
deliberation  of  the  subject — considering  the  limited  re- 
sources of  the  church  and  [)eoi)le,  and  the  re(iuirements 
necessary  for  their  support,  the  anticipated  relation  was 
relinquished. 

In  the  autunni  Mr.  Shcpard  (\iry  arrived  at  Houlton 
from  New  Salem,  his  native  ])lacc. 

Messrs.  Palmer  &  Cowcn,  from  Kcinubfc,  with  a  nu- 
merous herd  of  cattle  an<l  horses,  came  thr«)iigh  t(. 
Houlton.  Soon  after  Mr.  John  Basford,  Deputy  Sheriff 
from  Augusta,  accompanied  by  Messrs.  Black  and  Rollins, 
arrived  v.ith  twelve  horses  and  goods  to  a  considerable 
amount,  whicli    were    principally    sold    in    the    Province. 


54 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 


Mr.  I)asf(H(l  attaclied  a  part  of  the  stock  driven  by  said 
Palmer  and  Cowen,  by  virtue  of  a  precept  from  Au- 
gusta. Mr.  Basford  has  since  remained,  an  active  and 
usefid  resident  of  FToulton. 

About  tliis  time  Messrs.  Kimball  &  Stir.son  came,  also, 
with  liorses  aud  goods.  Horses,  oxen,  and  commodities 
of  all  kinds  even  to  the  eqni[)age  of  sleighs,  harnesses, 
&c.,  were  disposed  of  without  sacrifice.  Three  young 
men,  viz.:  Steward,  Hutchinson  and  Colboth,  shoemakers, 
came  to  Houlton  from  Kennebec,  and  worked  at  their 
trade  in  a  small  building  on  the  bank  of  the  creek. 
Mr.  James  Gould,  a  native  of  Berwick,  blacksmith,  re- 
moved to  Houlton,  where  he  commenced  business,  and 
succeeded  as  a  skillful  workman. 

In  the  summer  of  1825,  Messrs.  While,  Cummings, 
Eastern  and  Babcock  left  Bangor  with  eight  horses  and 
several  bateaux  loaded  with  goods,  destined  for  Houlton, 
following  their  accustomed  route.  We  believe  that  this 
was  the  first  effort  made  to  convey  goods  of  any  consid- 
erable amount,  by  water  craft  to  this  part  of  the  country. 
Leaving  their  bateaux  at  Baskahegan  they  trans[)orted 
the  loads  on  horses  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles  to 
the  transient  home  of  those  traders.  About  this  time, 
Daniel  Bracket,  a  native,  (we  believe),  of  Limerick, 
came  to  Houlton  and  worked  with  Mr.  Gould  at  the 
anvil. 

J»din  iVLitherson,  a  native  of  Scotland,  removed  from 
tlie  Province  to  Houlton.  Mr.  ALitherson  informed  the 
writer  tliat  he  raised  from  liis  first  clearing  of  five  acres, 
200  bushels  of  wheat ;  ten  do.  of  corn  :  100  do.  of  pota- 
toes ;  25  do.  of  turni[)s,  and  a  cai-t-load  of  i)um[)kins, 
which.  estimate<l  at  the  prices  for  which  tliose  articles 
of  produce  then   sold,  would   amount  to  about  8472. 

October  7,  1825,  was  signalized  by  a  fli'e,  which  pre- 
vailed in  this  region  of  country  and  in  the  Province  of 
Xew  Brunswick,   ^liramichi    appeared    the    most    distin- 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  55 

guislied  for  its    dreadful    lavao-es,  hence,  it    derived    tlie 

appellation  of  the  ''  Miramichi  fire." 

The  wind,  like  Sirocco,  for  days  had  blown, 
And  night's  sable  mantle  o'er  earth  was  thrown  ; 
While  the  fire  appeared  from  heaven  to  come  down, 
On  woodland  and  plain,  on  hamlet  and  town. 

While  darkness  profound  pervaded  the  night ; 
The  contrast  dire,  made  more  vivid  the  light, 
Like  the  flash  of  cannon  and  the  sheen  of  war, 
Which  rendered  more  frightful  the  midnight  hour. 

So  great  was  the  destruction  of  tliat  place,  that  hun- 
dreds of  the  inhabitants  perished.  The  writer  was  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Newman,  a  native  of  Mii'amichi,  but  a 
resident  of  Houlton,  who  witnessed  that  tragical  scene, 
that  tlie  village  of  Newcastle,  and  Douglasstown,  three 
miles  below,  were  both  consumed.  The  fire  came  upon 
them  so  suddenly  that  they  could  make  no  preparation, 
— surprising  them,  as  it  did,  in  the  niglit,  the  people 
were  obliged  to  flee  from  their  houses,  for  refuge,  to 
caves  and  wells, — children  were  crying  for  tlieir  parents, 
and  parents,  frantic  with  grief  and  despair,  for  their 
children.  The  animals  instinctively  run  for  the  livers 
and  streams.  There  were  instances,  we  were  informed, 
where  the  lives  of  individuals  were  preserved  by  holding 
on  to  them  while  swimming.  The  waters  did  not  "  be- 
come blood,"  but  were  so  impregnated  with  smoke  and 
ashes,  as  to  kill  the  fish — the  salmon  died  in  their  native 
element.  The  scene,  to  the  inhabitants  of  Miramichi, 
who,  at  that  time,  were  an  amalgamation  of  different 
nations,  must  have  been  not  unlike  that  wliidi  ^^  as  fore- 
told of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  the  day  of 
judgment,  in  the  2r)th  chapter  of  Mathew,  ''  neither  let 
him  that  is  in  the  field  return  back  to  take  liis  elotlies," 
&c.  Many  who  fled  to  the  river  were  drowned,  among 
whom  a  family,  (husband,  wife  and  children.)  while 
endeavoring  to  cross  the  river  in  a  canoe,  from  Douglass 
to  Chatham,  a   distance  of   about   two   miles,   were   over- 


56  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

Those  in  the  forest  that  were  remote  from  the  river 
iincl  streams,  and  had  nowhere  to  flee  for  refuge,  fell 
victims  to  the  raging  element.  From  a  i)arty  of  seven 
men  engaged  Inrabering",  only  one  escaped  to  relate  the 
intelligence  of  the  sad  fate  of  his  companions  ;  and  his 
life  was  saved  by  literally  burying  himself  in  niud. 
These  instances  of  mortality  were  no  isolated  cases,  but 
Ave  mention  them  as  giving  a  general  idea  of  the  condi- 
tion of  those  who  perished  during  that  storm  of  wind 
and  fire. 

Tlie  people  being  left  houseless,  many  became  objects 
of  public  charity,  for  the  town  was  totally  destroyed  ; 
but  they  soon  were  relieved  by  the  proffered  aid,  in 
clothing,  provisions,  &c.,  which  were  brought  in  ship- 
loads from  England  and  the  States.  The  drouth  pro- 
ceeding this,  was  so  extreme,  having  had  no  rain,  but 
heavy  dews,  for  three  months  in  that  vicinity,  the 
streams  and  springs  that  were  never  known  to  be  dry, 
furnished  no  water ;  the  fire  extended  through  the  wil- 
derness in  the  low  lands,  where  there  was  much  turf, 
and  burnt  the  trees  down  by  the  roots,  leaving  the  for- 
est, in  many  places,  in  a  state  of  ruin  worse  than  that 
of  a  tornado. 

The  wilderness  of  tlie  ]\Iiramichi  counti-y  consisted 
very  much  of  pine,  and  for  many  yeais  had  been  the 
theatre  of  lumber  operations  which,  in  a  measuie,  ac- 
counts for  the  more  dreadful  destruction  in  that  region, 
both  for  man  and  beast.  In  places  the  green  pine  groves 
were  entirely  consumed,  leaving  the  ground  a  barren 
waste.  There  were  tlie  fallen  leaves,  dry  as  tinder,  and 
other  combustil)les  common  to  tlie  forest — the  wind, 
which  always  accompanies  a  conflagration — the  fire  catch- 
ing in  the  bark  and  moss  of  trees,  flaming  to  their  tops, 
scattering  broad-cast  the  flying  leaves  Jfnd  cinders ; — 
no  w*onder  that  the  fire  had  the  appearance  of  descend- 
ing from  heaven,  amid  the  atmosphere  of  smoke.     Neither 


HISTORY   OF  iioui/roN.  57 

is  it  so  much  a  subject  of  iistonishnicut,  tliat  some  even 
tliought  tliat  tlie  time  of  the  final  judjjjment  liad  com- 
menced, as  tliat  Millerism  should  so  far  have  fauaticized 
the  people,  as  to  have  fuinished  so  uuuiy  subjects  for 
the  Insane  hosi)ital.  It  must  have  been  a  time  of  terrgr 
and  dismay  to  the  most  daring  and  intre[)id. 

What  rendered  the  fire  more  extraordinary  was,  that 
on  the  7th  of  October  it  prevailed  simultaneously  in  the 
various  sections  of  Maine,  as  well  as  in  the  Province 
of  New  Brunswick.  On  that  day  a  large  portion  of 
Fredericton  was  burned,  while  the  fiie  was  spreading  at 
the  Oromucto,  and  at  the  same  time  the  inliabitants  of 
Houlton  and  the  adjacent  county  were  suffering  more  or 
less  from  its  ravages,  especially  by  the  damage  done  to 
their  woodlands  and  maple  orchards.  The  valuable  tim- 
ber-lands in  the  Penobscot  region  was  a  scene  of  confla- 
gration, which  not  only  consumed  a  vast  amount  of  pine 
timber,  but  ruined  the  soil,  and  at  the  same  time  was 
doing  its  work  of  destruction  at  the  Piscataquis.  For 
weeks  the  atmosphere  exhibited  the  dense  body  of 
smoke,  which  obscured  the  sun  as,  at  times,  to  produce 
the  darkness  of  twilight,  at  noon-day.  All  eyes  were 
suffused  with  tears  from  the  sable  cloud  which  pervaded 
the  country,  and  the  poor  animals  were  swolK-n  almost 
to  suffocation. 

This,  at  that  time,  must  liavt-  had  more  llir  appear- 
ance of  a  visitation  of  the  dis[)leasure  of  the  Almighty, 
than  anything  of  modern  history  which  had  transpired  : 
and  that  he  would  presume  to  isolate  the  people  of  Mir- 
amichi  as  the  lone  subjects  of  providential  discij)line — 
no;  far  be  it  from  us  to  pass  judgment  upon  any;  but 
we  have  been  informed  tliat  Miramichi  had  become  no- 
torious as  a  lumber  depot,  and  a  rendezvous  for  the 
profligate,  licentious  and  profane,  and  that  gambling,  de- 
bauchery, and  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  there  prevailed  ; 
we  have  thought  it  possible  that  this  severe  chastisement 


58  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

was  signally  directed  by  Him  who  does  not  willingly 
afflict  His  creatures,  but  to  callus  to  a  sense  of  our  ac- 
conntabilit}'  to  our  rightful  Sovereign. 

But  the  discussion  of  this  subject  may  appear  foreign 
to  our  purpose,  and  we  will  not  dwell  upon  the  merits 
or  demerits  of  this  extraordinary  occurreuce. 

Perhaps  the  writer  may  be  considered  too  general  and 
prolix  in  the  description  of  this  fire,  as  Houlton  was  not 
the  theatre  of  its  triumph  ;  but  we  feel  that  the  extent 
and  universality  of  this  singular  event,  may  atone  for 
our  having  so  far  departed  from  the  limits  of  our  legit- 
imate sphere. 

We  have  acquainted  our  readers  with  the  incidents 
connected  with  the  settlement  of  this  town,  and  in 
drawing  to  a  close  it  seems  necessary  to  state  that  with 
the  exception  of  one  person,  Lysander  Putnam,  all  of 
the  early  settlers  have  i^oue  to  their  lon2:  home.  The 
following  is  partly  a  repetition  of  what  has  already  been 
stated,  but  being  in  a  condensed  form  will  be  very  val- 
uable to  preserve  : 

Houlton  is  the  shire  t  nvn  of  Aroostook  County,  is 
situated  on  the  eastern  border  of  Maine,  and  is  250 
miles  from  Portland,  via  the  old  "Military  Road"  from 
Bangor.  The  Houlton  Branch  of  the  N.  B.  &  C.  Rail- 
Avay  was  completed  in  1870.  From  here  start  the  stage- 
routes  to  Presque  Isle,  Caribou,  Fort  Fairfield,  Linneus, 
Danforth  and  Patten,  in  Maine,  and  Woodstock,  in  New 
Biunswick. 

The  town  is  bounded  on  the  north  l»y  Littleton,  south 
by  Hodgdon,  west  by  New  Limerick,,  and  east  by  Rich- 
mond, in  New  Brunswick.  In  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  town  are  two  large  "Horse-backs;*'  but  the  surface 
generally  lies  in  large  swells.  The  soil  is  a  deep,  rich 
loam,  underlaid  by  clay  and  yielding  abundantly  of  the 
usual  farm  crops.  The  Meduxnekeag  river,  a  branch  of 
the  Saint  John,  flows  from  southwest  to  northeast  through 


HISTORY    OF    IIOL'LTON.  59 

tlie  midst  of  the  town.  Booj,  Moose,  and  Cook  Brooks, 
tributaries  of  the  IVIediixiiekeag,  are  tlie  other  principal 
streams.  The  powers  on  tlie  river  are  known  as  the 
Gary,  Page  &  Madigan,  Ham,  Logan,  Mansur,  Cressey 
and  Honlton  water  powers.  The  manufacturing  is 
chiefly  on  the  Gary  power  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  town,  and  on  the  Cressey  and  Houlton  powers,  in 
this  village.  There  are  two  cheese  factories,  two  starch 
factories,  a  woolen  mill,  three  lumher  mills,  three  Hour 
mills,  one  tannery,  one  iron  foundry  and  machine  shop, 
two  printing  offices,  sash,  blind  and  door  factory. 

Other  manufactures  are  bark  extract,  harnesses,  boots 
and  shoes,  caniages,  marble-work,  etc.  HcMdton  also 
contains  express  and  telegraph  offices,  custom  house, 
photographer's  saloon,  one  book-bindery,  five  hotels, 
three  livery  stal)les,  tliree  tailoiing  establisliments,  three 
drug  stores,  two  insurance  agencies,  one  savings  bank 
and  one  national  bank,  four  saloons,  one  bakery,  two 
barber-shops,  t\AO  public  halls,  six  churches,  forty-eight 
stores,  one  bowling-alley,  two  billiard  rooms  and  one 
skating  rink.  Our  fire  department  consists  of  oiu^  steamer, 
hand-tub,  hook-and-ladder  truck,  and  a  chemical  engine. 
Tliis  town  is  also  blessed  (?)  with  eight  doctors,  eight- 
teen  lawyers,  and  two  dentists. 

Houlton  is  the  center  of  trade  for  the  county,  and  is  ;i 
busy  and  thrifty  town.  The  village  has  many  haiidsonif 
residences,  and  there  are  several  well-shaded  and  very 
attractive  streets.  The  Houlton  Savings  Hank,  in  May, 
1881,  held  $00,000   in   dei^oits,   from   its  :>)•<>  <lepnsitors. 

There  are  two  weekly  newspai)ers  published  in  the 
villaoe,  the  "  Aioostook  Pioneer"  and  the  ''Aroostook 
Times."  The  ''  INoneer,"  the  hrst  newspaper  in  thr 
county,  was  established  in  Presque  Isle,  Dec.  1S.3T,  by 
W.  S.  Oilman,  and  was  moved  to  Houlton  in  1868. 
The  '-rimes"  was  established  in  1800,  hy  Theodore 
Carv. 


6o  HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 

The  Hoiilton  Academy  has  done  noble  service  in  the 
cause  of  education.  Many  who  luive  aheady  gone  out 
from  its  walls  have  achieved  distinction  in  their  callings, 
and  there  is  every  reason  to  hope  that  its  future  work 
will  surpass  that  of  its  earlier  period.  The  building  is 
a  good  one  and  occupies  ample  grounds. 

In  1868  a  telegraph  line  was  stretched  from  Wood- 
stock, N.  B.  to  Houlton,  through  tlie  efforts  of  W.  S. 
Oilman. 

In  1830,  a  military  station  was  established  here  by  the 
national  government,  but  the  troops  were  removed  in 
1847,  during  the  war  with  Mexico.  The  barracks  occu- 
pied a  position  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  near  the 
railwa}^  station,  and  have  long  since  fallen  to  decay. 
The  Aroostook  County  meridian  line  is  established  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  parade  ground.  A  soldiers'  cem- 
etery is  near  by. 

The  county  court-house  and  jail  occupy  a  central  po- 
sition in  the  village.  Houlton  has  nine  public  school- 
liouses  ;  and  the  entire  public  school  property  in  land  and 
buildings  is  valued  at  J^TOOO.  The  valuation  of  estates 
in  1870  was  ^681,6-46.  In  1880  it  was  8725,469.  The 
population  in  1870  was  2,850.     In  1880  it  w^as  3,228. 


APPENDIX 


The  following  copies  of  old  documents  relating  to  the 
early  history  of  Houlton,  were  kindly  furnished  us  by 
J.  F.  Pratt.  M.  D.,  of  Chelsea,  Mass.  They  are  petitions 
to  the  great  and  general  court  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
^Massachusetts,  for  the  incorporation  of  the  Plantation 
into  a  town  : 

To  the  Honbl.  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
in  General  Court  Assembled  at  Boston,  Jan.  1810  :  The 
Petition  of  the  Subscribers  Humbly  Shewith:  That  your 
Petitioners  are  situated  very  remote  from  any  Incopo- 
rated  Towns  within  this  Commonwealth  (at  least  one 
hurdred  miles),  which  makes  it  very  necessary  tliat  we 
should  be  Incoporated  into  a  Town.  Our  Infant  Set- 
tlement we  hope  and  expect  will  rapidly  increase  pro- 
vided we  can  have  some  small  Indulgancc  of  (xovi'm- 
ment.  The  Inconveniences  which  we  labor  und'-r  in  our 
present  situation  must  most  clearly  be  seen  l)y  your 
Honors,  but  we  beg  leave  to  state  few  particiihirs.  hi 
the  first  place  we  beg  leave  to  observe  that  we  were 
from  a  country  where  we  were  alwavs  acustonicd  to  liave 
regular  Preachino-  &  Schools  rcgularlv  estahhshcd  ;  which 
we  can  never  have  established  here  in  our  Unincoporated 
State.  Nor  can  we  open  Roads  to  any  advantage,  either 
to  accomodate  ourselves  or  the  Publick,  and  we  beg 
leave  further  to  observe  that  many  things  which  are  mat- 
ter of  Record  which  happens  in  any  Settlement,  such  as 
marriageSi    intentions  of   marriage.    Berths,    Deaths  &c., 


62 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON, 


all  required  by  law  to  be  recorded.  We  are  sensible 
that  we  liave  the  privilidge  of  going  to  the  next  Inco- 
porated  Town,  but  when  your  Honors  turn  your  atten- 
tion for  a  moment  to  our  local  situation,  being  one  hun- 
dred and  Ten  from  any  Incorporated  Town  &  that  thro 
a  Wilderness  without  Road  our  advantage  dwindles  into 
nothing.  We  therefore  Pray  your  Honors  that  we  may 
be  Incorporated  by  the  following  bounds  vis.  Begining 
on  the  Boundary  line  of  the  United  States  at  tlie  South 
East  Corner  of  a  Tract  of  Land  granted  to  Xew  Salem 
Academy  and  thence  West  13''  North  six  miles,  to  the 
Southwesterly  corner  of  said  Grant,  thence  Nortli  18"^ 
East  Three  miles,  Thence  East  IS''  South  six  miles  to 
the  North  East  Corner  of  said  Grant  on  the  Boundary 
line,  thence  on  the  Boundary  line  to  the  first  bounds, 
witli  all  the  privilidges  that  other  Towns  within  this 
commonwealth  Injoy,  to  be  Incorporated  by  the  name  of 
Iloulton.  We  are  sensible  that  it  is  the  usual  custom 
to  require  an  ''  Order  of  Notice  "  before  an  act  of  In- 
corporation is  passed,  but  when  our  situation  is  taken 
into  view  that  our  being  Incorporated  or  not  being  Iii- 
corporated,  concerns  none  })ut  ourselves,  we  hope  the 
usual  custom  of  Notif3^cation  will  he  dispensed  with  and 
an  Act  of  Incorporation  Granted.  And  fully  relying  on 
your  goodness  we  as  in  duty  bound  shall  ever  j^ray. 

Plantation  of  Holton,  Sept.  5th  1809. 

(Signed) 

Joseph  Houlton,  Samuel  Cook,  James  Houlton,  John 
Allen,  Joseph  Goodnough,  Samuel  Houlton,  Benjamin 
Marshall. 

The  following  in  another  hand  writing  is  at  bottom  of 
Petition  —  ''4  famalies  Aaron  Putnam  mov^d  since  the 
Petition  was  drawn.'' 

In  Senate,   Jan.   213,  1810.     Read  and  committed  to  the 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON.  63 

standing    committee  on    Incorporation    of  Towns  and  to 
consider  and  report. 

Sent  down  for  concurrence, 

N.  G.  Otis,  Prest. 
In  House  of  Reps.    Jan.  27,  1810. 
Read  and  concurred. 

Timothy  Bigelow,  Speaker. 

The  committee  of  both  houses  appointed  to  consider 
apphcation  for  tlie  Incorporation  of  Towns,  Districts,  etc. 
On  the  Petition  of  Jesse  Houlton  &  others  praying  to 
be  Incorporated  in  a  Town,  Ask  leave  to  Report  that 
the  Petitioners  have  leave  to  Withdraw,  which  is  sub- 
mitted. 

Salem  Town,  per  order. 
In  Senate,  Feb.  20,  1810.     Read  and  accepted. 
Sent  down  for  concurrence. 

N.  G.  Otis,  Prest. 
In  the  House  of  Reps.  Feb.  21,  1810. 
Read  and  concurred. 

Timothy  Bigelow,  Speaker. 


I  m 


To  tlie  Honerable  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  commonwealth  of  Mosi-achusetts  in  General 
Court  Assembled.  The  subscribers  hereby  respectfully 
repiesL'iit  that  they  are  iiihal)itants  of  a  certaiji  tract  of 
land,  given  by  the  Legislature  to  the  tiustees  of  NeA\- 
Salem  Academy  and  situated  in  tlie  North  District  of 
the  County  of  Washinciton.  That  thev  are  at  tlie  dis- 
tance  of  nearly  one  hundred  miles  from  any  Incorporated 
Town  in  the  District  aforesaid  ;  that  they  also  labor  un- 
der   manv  and    great    inconveniencey    from    the  want  o 


64 


HISTORY    OF    HOULTON. 


iiutliority  to  raise  monies  for  making  and  repairing  high- 
ways &  bridges  within  this  Phmtation,  for  supporting 
a  school  for  the  instruction  of  their  children  &  youtli 
and  for  maintaining  the  ministry  among  tliem,  as  far  as 
tlieir  numbers  &  correspondent  ability  may  admit,  the  im- 
portance of  which  will  be  duly  appreciated  by  the  Leg- 
ishiture.  These  with  many  other  considerations  induce 
us  to  solicit  the  Legislature  to  grant  us  an  act  Incor- 
porating the  Plantation  of  Houlton  so  called  together 
with  the  Half  Township  Granted  to  Groton  Academ}^ 
which  is  bounded  &  described  as  by  the  Plan  thereof  in 
the  Land  office  as  will  appear  into  a  Town  by  the  name, 
of  Houlton  witli  all  the  powers  &  privileges  possessed 
by  other  Licorporated  Town  in  the  commonwealth  and^ 
as  in  duty  bound  will  ever  Pray. 

[Signed] 


Samuel  Kendall, 
Joseph  Houlton, 
Aaron  Putnam, 
Joseph  Kendall, 
Joseph  Goodman, 
James  Houlton, 
William  Wilkins, 
Samuel  Cook, 
Amos  Putnam. 


Edmund  Cone, 
Eben  Warner, 
Joshua  G.  Kendall, 
Michael  O' Brian, 
Samuel  Houlton, 
Ja^[es  U.  Taylor, 
Edward  Townsend, 
Samuel  Rice, 


Oct.  30,  1818. 


C0"10T32mi 


Nu^Hl^m7 


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